Amazing Grace (***1/4)

? Michael Apted’s biopic of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) tells the story of the politician who perhaps did the most of any individual in ending the slave trade in the British Empire. A friend and contemporary of William Pitt, who became prime minister at 24, the young Wilberforce was influenced by Thomas Clarkson (Rufus Sewell), a fierce abolitionist, and by a religious epiphany he had, eventually dedicating much of his life to the cause. Also inspiring him was John Newton (Albert Finney), who had penned the lyrics to the title hymn when he was a slave trader but years later became a minister and spoke out against human trafficking. The script was written by Michael Knight, last credited with the brilliant Dirty Pretty Things.
+ For Americans, this provides a look at a less-familiar slavery story and the way that moral arguments can occasionally hold sway over economic ones. Indeed, Wilberforce’s story is not only an inspirational tale of passion in action, but one of practical politics used wisely. Knight accurately shows the persistence it took to, on one hand, raise awareness, and on the other overcome both patriotic and practical arguments centered around the damage to the empire. Apted’s dynamic rendering of the scenes in the House of Commons is masterful, with Michael Gambon standing out as the influential Lord Charles Fox. Apted and Knight also take in other aspects of Wilberforce’s personality, like his love of animals. He comes off as likeable and quirky. Wilberforce’s extremely accelerated courtship of his wife becomes a framing device for the story. Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour makes a credible screen debut as Olauduh Equiano, an ex-slave who wrote a bestseller about his experiences.
- It might be asking too much, but just perhaps the scope of the movie might have been broadened slightly. There are only passing mentions of the widespread grassroots campaign that arose contemporaneously with Wilberforce’s actions, this being much the focus of 2005’s Bury the Chains, by Adam Hochschild, which gives greater credit to Clarkson. Indeed, Clarkson’s influence on Wilberforce seems minimized; Wilberforce arrives fully formed, with little hint of what led him to his firm convictions that were shared by so few. Clarkson is portrayed as perhaps too fanatical to get things done, yet something besides practicality inspired the sugar boycott that the movie mentions. In its understandable inclination to canonize Wilberforce, the movie misses something.
= ***1/4 A historically important story that feels contemporary yet authentic.

IMDB link

reviewed 2/23/07

reviewed 2/23/07