Amazing Grace - A Movie Review

There is a smattering of what folks would call "religious" movies that have been coming out into the mainstream media last couple of years. Some strictly mainstream media movies have had strong religious-or-faith based overtones; some were overtly marketed to the religious crowd, "One Night With the King," the story of Ester, is one such movie. We like good movies, with good plots, a good "twist", and a great ending- we as in you and I, because we don't like movies that have no plot, no twist, and the ending is pathetic, do we? So it's safe to say that if a movie has a decent story line and decent character actors, and decent portrayal of the plot, it's likely to be marketable; successful, on the other hand, is not just marketable, but remarkable. The smattering of religious movies of late, contains some that large groups of people are calling remarkable- consider the ground swell popularity of "Facing the Giants." In the midst of such comes a movie with a stronger point, it's not just a religiously slanted tale, it is closely historic, and about a subject that truly has divided people, slavery.

The movie "Amazing Grace," is the story of William Wilberforce, the man who Sought to abolish slavery from the British lands. John Newton, composer of the famous Hymn, captained a slave ship, but upon conversion, could no longer conscience the task, became a minister, and from the age of 43 to his death at 82, stayed his course. The movie presents the times of Wilberforce, "Clearly, the movie is helped by the fact that Wilberforce was such a unifying personality with appeal that bridged race, politics and religion. He was an evangelical Christian who founded more than 60 nonprofits, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In his work to abolish slavery, Wilberforce inspired change by means that are still used today, with petition drives, slogans and boycotts." [Piccalo, 2007]

But why do you say good for some, not so good for others? Great subject, religious slant, great for some, but for those who aren't religiously slanted, for those who aren't faithful types, does the message come through entirely differently? Is the idea of going after the mind set of the non-faith thinker through the media an approach that makes sense? Clearly those who see the life of Wilberforce can see the need to do away with slavery, right? In so agreeing with the need the person who is not faith inclined will find they become such, as a result of the impact of message, right? Now as you are thinking, "sure but nobody holds a gun to their head and makes them go to see this movie," let's agree that also, marketing plays into this scene. So a movie which presents the issue of need to abolish slavery on the grounds of humanity in the eyes of God, and the grace of God, as Wilberforce believed, and for the purely humane and ethical and moral reasoning's which he brought to bear on the conscience of a nation; can be a success- even if everybody isn't converted. Back to the point of good for some, not so good for others. It's good for those who want to believe such, sense such, experience such, but for others, and maybe rightly so, this movie may not be so good. They may feel a little uncomfortable, oddly, they paid for the discomfort, is that in some almost insignificant way, a reversal, yet again, on the fortune of those who sought to enslave their fellow men and women in that horrible trade?

References:

Piccalo Gina, Times Staff Writer; "A freedom fighter heard centuries later,"
February 23, 2007 viewable on the World Wide Web at: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-et-grace23feb23,1,4731308.story?ctrack=1&cset=true