"Mismanaged and theatrical."
It is tasteless when a movie delivers differently from what
it promises. No matter how noble the intentions are, there is a question of
decency and credibility when a story has certain hidden agenda. It is with this
logic that Peter Cousens’ Freedom is
utterly foul and disappointing.
The movie connects two stories which are approximately 100
years apart – the first happens in 1856 when a small group of black slaves
escape from a plantation in Richmond, Virginia. With the aid of the Underground
Railroad network, Samuel Woodward (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and his Christian family
are headed north to Canada and to freedom. But the journey is not easy as slave
hunter (William Sadler) and his pack are in hot pursuits against them.
The second part happens in 1748, telling the story about
Samuel’s great-grandfather and his sea voyage on a slave trader ship under
Captain John Newton’s (Bernhard Forcher) management. Though the expedition from
Guinea to Carolina turns out to be stormy and difficult, the experience proves
to be transformative for Newton as he embraces Christian faith in the process. Sympathizing with
the abolitionists, Newton later writes the song “Amazing Grace.” Before they
separate, Newton presents the boy (Sam’s ancestor) with a gift – the Holy Bible
– which shall become the family heritage through all ages.
Freedom opens with
some forewords about the black slavery in America. It is one of the most
horrible events of the past and the movie gives a historical drama impression. Unfortunately,
as the film progresses quite lazily, it appears to be more spiritual in nature.
Jesus has been mentioned countless times and the idea of Christian conversion
has been very prominent. The slavery and the characters’ struggles to survive
being smuggled out of their master’s land become secondary as spirituality
rises to be the main central point.
The movie also tries to convey that not all white people in
the slave trade are cruel and evil. This is evident with Newton’s transformation
and Samuel’s pursuer’s change of hearts. With the latter’s scene, Samuel is
torn between the choice of extracting revenge and forgiveness. With this, Freedom becomes demanding and even subtly
brutal as it uses Christian values to insist on the idea of forgiveness and redemption
for the white traders. It may be the righteous thing to do but a hundred years
of inflicting pain and inequality is not that easily erased by a single journey
or voyage.
Other than banking on spirituality, the movie also turns out
to be theatrical as music becomes an integral part of it. At some parts, the sanctimonious
songs bring some kind of uplift and divine high, but mostly, they are annoying.
They turn the drama into heartless cheesiness. In fact, the songs take most of the
one-and-a-half-hour duration of the movie. Cutting off the music and the religious
babble will reduce the film to substantially almost nothing.
Technically, Freedom
has that movie-made-for-television texture, giving a claustrophobic and dismal feeling.
Too much musicality also gives the actor so little to work on. Gooding, with
his natural wits and talents, does not shine in the movie. He appears to be so
generic and forgettable.
Freedom, compared
to other movies with several themes, is less violent as spirituality is its
dominating voice. Sharing the message about reading the Bible and living the
Christian values are admirable actions. But doing so in the guise of another thing
may not be the rightful way to do it.
0 comments:
Post a Comment