Movie Review
In 1863, a widely circulated photograph changed the course of the abolitionist movement in the United States. Photographed by J. Seaver and titled “The Scourged Back,” it depicts a former Louisiana slave named Gordon, known as “Peter the Whipped.” The full display of the deep wounds on Gordon’s back was meant to finally prove to the nation the atrocities of slavery – and it did.
The same motivation courses throughout Emancipation, director Antoine Fuqua’s slavery drama starring Will Smith. Based on the true story of Gordon’s escape and service in the Union army, the film begins on Captain Lyons plantation, where Peter (Smith) is enslaved with his wife Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa) and children. When Peter is sold into the Confederate Army for railroad work, nothing can break his determination to be reunited with his beloved family.
Word spread that President Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves in the rebelling states, so Peter decided to flee to Baton Rouge in hopes of finding Lincoln’s army. He faces the dangerous swamps of Louisiana and the relentless pursuit of warden Jim Fassel (Ben Foster) and his dogs, but keeps his eyes trained on the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel: freedom.
Like the picture of Gordon’s back, Peter’s more embellished story does not shy away from the atrocities committed against Black slaves. But while Whipped Back had a spectacular effect in changing the consciousness of those who could not know the true nature of slavery, in adapting the photograph to the screen, Emancipation feels exploitative in its repetitive human suffering. Of course, given the tendency of many to forget history, it is important to keep telling these narratives.
Cinematography
As great as cinematographer Robert Richardson’s work is, there’s something so wonderfully cinematic about Peter’s story. After Peter is sold into the Confederate Army, a fast-moving tracking shot pans over the developing railroad and shows how other enslaved men work at work. It’s almost too coordinated, too messed up. The gorgeous camerawork and black-and-white style (with the interesting addition of color grading) only enhance this picturesque, fictional quality.
Emancipation Focus
Finally, Emancipation’s focus is too broad and contrived. Like many war stories, Fuqua turns the slave narrative into dramatic entertainment instead of focusing on the humanity within. There are still pockets of truth and poignancy where the film decides to touch on the deeper motivations of its protagonists, such as Fassel’s fear of Black supremacy or how Peter’s faith drives him forward. But Bill Collage’s screenplay doesn’t go much deeper than these brief moments.
Performance
Smith’s performance is commendable as he portrays Peter with a palpable, ordinary anger. However, in the end there is very little to work with. Fuqua and Collage had the opportunity to vote for the man in the famous picture. To show who Peter can be as a person and not just show the suffering he goes through. And it went through their hands.
In 1863, a photograph of Gordon was taken and circulated in the United States, and people felt his suffering. It takes emotional intelligence to bring that photo to the attention of modern society—a purpose beyond suffering. Emancipation does not reach that limit.