William Wilberforce

[poliphilo]

A long time ago- when I was learning history in school- I was given to understand that slavery was a bad thing that used to happen in exotic, foreign places like ancient Rome and the American deep South and then along came a brave, white Englishman called William Wilberforce and put a stop to it.

There's a new film coming out about Mr Wilberforce. He's played by that amazingly handsome Welsh actor who used to be Hornblower. In a clip I saw on the telly Hornblower/Wilberforce was the only guy wearing his own hair in a parliament full of smelly, old men in powdered wigs.

The real Wilberforce was a funny, ugly, little, religious person (he was about 5 ft tall)  with weird, puritanical views, who wanted to convert the heathen and shut down the theatres.  And, no, he didn't fight slavery single-handed.  He wasn't even the main man. 

And he didn't even end slavery. He stopped the tranatlantic slave trade- which was a step in the right direction, but that's all. 

Which isn't to say he wasn't a great man; he was. It's just- oh I don't know- the real story is almost always more interesting than the myth and it was John Wayne not Jimmy Stewart who shot Liberty Valance. 

And the other thing that gets me is how these stories are always dramatised as stories of white heroism. Remember Spielberg's Amistad? A black guy leads a below decks' revolt and captures the slave ship- what a film that would make!  But who does Spielberg  focus on? The black guy's hunkadelic, white, fuckin' lawyer and some white, fuckin' former American president who gets to deliver a grossly unhistorical speech about freedom.

Oh, come on. we're grown ups, aren't we?  Please give it to us as it really was.



Phwooar, what a babe!

Comments

[shullie.livejournal.com]

he was a yorkshire man too... ey up!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I wonder whether Ioan Gruffudd affects a Yorkshire accent. It would be good if he did.

[ex-kalymura481.livejournal.com]

He doesn't, but they do mention where he hails from.

[momof2girls.livejournal.com]

I think they use poetic license to give us the reality we're comfortable with, not the reality that really occurred (if that makes any sense!).

[shullie.livejournal.com]

but why are we not comfortable?... Why does everything- well filmes etc have to be sacharine coated ?

[momof2girls.livejournal.com]

Personally, I agree with poliphilo - I'd rather have the reality. But I get the feeling that the viewing public doesn't want to have to deal with the "real" reality because it can be hard to deal with. We don't want to have to think about the ugliness that really occurred in much of history.

[shullie.livejournal.com]

I know Hollywood has to make a film more superficial, re writes history and well, have a 'happy ending' in order for it's mainly American Box office revenue... whatever the reality. However, as this is a British film one would have hoped for a more realistic portrayal...

[shullie.livejournal.com]

ahhh just realised it isn't a British film..... enough said!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes.

I understand it's a commercial film and it has to make as much money as possible but- well- I just think some subjects are too important to be glammed up like this.

When it comes to slavery nothing but the truth will do.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

We had a preview of Amazing Grace (that's the film's name) here at the National Constitution Center on February 1. We are able to make a case for Philadelphia being central to the international abolitionist movement by virtue of our 1688 antislavery petition signed in Germantown by Pastorius et al.

The illustration of Wilberforce here looks more like Michael Gambon -- who, incidentally, plays Sir Charles Fox in the film.

It was very watchable. Some friends of mine were involved in putting together the timeline associated with the film's website and curriculum materials:

http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/slavery_timeline.php

I found the film to be very watchable.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Of course I haven't seen the movie yet; if and when I do I may have to eat my words.

Wilberforce was apparently a delightful man. The statue in Westminster Abbey has him looking wonderfully grotesque and humorous. I couldn't find an adequate photo of it or I'd have used it here.

[shullie.livejournal.com]

my only worry is that it will give the impression that it was him alone who 'abolished' slavery...

I look forward to seeing the film....

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

From what I've read, all the other great campaigners against the slave trade are portrayed as Wilberforce's little helpers.

[(Anonymous)]

I wonder if there are any of the 'black' abolistionists portrayed such as Olaudah Equianoch, and Peter Panah, or women such as Ann Yearsley

and even William Blake...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Equiano is played by Youssou N'Dour. All the other leads are white.

[shullie.livejournal.com]

ooooOOoooo well it's on my list to see.... hopefully curtesy of orange free wednesday...via Martin's Money - get it free kinda thing!! :)

[sina-says.livejournal.com]

mmmm, ioan....

erik and i just recently watched the hornblower series on dvd. all of it. in one weekend.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I watched bits of it. Yes, it was pretty good.