"Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be fore you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it."* (From the last letter of John Wesley, written on February 24, 1791, to William Wilberforce)
When I heard that a feature film had been made about the life of William Wilberforce, I tried not to hope too hard. Wilberforce (1759-1833) was a member of the British parliament and the man most responsible for the abolition of the slave trade (and eventually the entire abolition of slavery) upon which 19th century Britain had built her empire. He was a devoted evangelical Christian and a tireless crusader against many other evils and social ills of his day. He is also, simply put, one of my favorite heroes. And I mean "hero" in the deepest sense of the word.
I've read, thought and taught about Wilberforce for the past ten years and so felt as though I'd come to know his personality better than many other figures from the past. So yes, I confess to some trepidation upon finally having a chance to watch Michael Apted's 2006 film Amazing Grace. My concerns mostly centered upon whether or not the film would be historically accurate: would the very human (and in some ways very frail) Wilberforce be turned into some sort of glamorous hero? Would his spiritual roots -- his reliance on God, on community, on prayer, those things that both inspired him and energized him -- be portrayed as they were? Or would he look like a secular "lone ranger" kind of crusader?
I am delighted to say that this film both met and in some ways exceeded my expectations. Minor quibbles aside, I was very moved by this historically accurate portrait of a man whose life I've pondered and admired. And the wonderful thing is that this film is not merely accurate to facts about Wilberforce's life and career. It breathes life into his story, visualizing and invigorating it, presenting it in such an engaging way that a whole new generation, including people who may never have heard anything about him, will willingly enter into the story.
Ioan Gruffudd portrays Wilberforce in what I found to be one of the most powerfully moving performances I'd seen in a long time. He captures well Wilberforce's intensity and strength of will, and yet at the same time manages to show his very human doubts, fears and weariness. Many people who know that Wilberforce spent twenty years presenting bills to parliament about the slave trade (and watching them get rejected time and again) don't realize that Wilberforce was plagued by ill health and bouts of depression. Those things are realistically portrayed here, but so are Wilberforce's deep reserves of faith, humor and joy.
What grounds the film and gives the audience such a terrific emotional entrance into the story are Wilberforce's relationships. Especially strong are the portrayals of his friendship with with William Pitt (excellently played by Benedict Crumberbatch) the youngest prime minister in British history; his courtship with Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai) the woman who encouraged and inspired him and who eventually became his wife; and his friendship with John Newton (the legendary Albert Finney, who brought me to tears) Wilberforce's spiritual counselor and one of the most famous converts in English history. I was particularly glad that they emphasized the importance of Finney's counsel to Wilberforce at a crucial time in his life.
It's true that when Wilberforce first became a Christian, he thought it might be God's will that he give up his political aspirations and influence in order to serve God in a more overtly religious capacity. It was Newton, the former slave ship captain whose deep awe at God's gracious saving love caused him to pen the hymn "Amazing Grace," who convinced Wilberforce that the best way he could serve God was to stay right where he was and use his position and influence to shape the moral conscience of a nation.
The title of the film, of course, is a direct reference to Newton's hymn (which is showcased prominently in at least three memorable scenes). I don't know how well Wilberforce really knew the hymn in his day, or how often he sang it, but its themes of God's grace and forgiveness and its connection to a former slaver make it a very appropriate theme and title for Wilberforce's story. As becomes clear throughout the narrative, he wouldn't have survived or succeeded in his aims without daily reliance on God.
The film moves quickly and is not told in an entirely straightforward, chronological fashion. On occasion that can make the narrative a tad confusing, but for the most part, I think it was a wise choice to focus on the latter part of Wilberforce's life and career and to flashback (often via conversations with Barbara during their courtship) to the earlier days of his conversion and call.
The scenes within parliament, which had the potential to mire the story in long-winded political overtones, actually felt interesting and helped portray the very real tension between abolitionists and those who wanted to protect the status-quo (and the economy of the empire). That's partly because the MPs who opposed Wilberforce were so well-acted, especially Lord Tarleton (Ciaran Hinds) and the Duke of Clarence (Toby Jones). Equally interesting and well-performed are Wilberforce's friends and supporters, members of the influential Clapham Sect. Thomas Clarkson (Rufus Sewell) and Olaudah Equiano (Youssou N'Dour) received the most screen time. Clarkson's more revolutionary tendencies (remember what was happening in France at this time) were played off against Wilberforce's more patient, orderly, long-view methods. N'Dour did a fine job portraying Equiano, a former slave whose book about his experiences helped raise public consciousness about the moral evils of slavery.
(I also loved the actors who portrayed Willberforce's friends the Thorntons and perhaps most especially the actor who played his oh-so-patient butler, but I'm afraid if I don't curb my enthusiasm I will soon list every actor in the cast. You need to see this movie!)
In the end, part of the value of this tale is its cautionary undertone: Wilberforce's opponents were ordinary people, like you or me, who simply failed to see that the way in which they lived their lives was built on the backs of other human beings. May our own eyes be opened to such evils in our own day, and may our world be full of spiritually invigorated Wilberforces who are willing to speak truth to power.
Prophetic lives are not easy to capture, but director Michael Apted (who I'm pleased to say is directing the third Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) did an admirable job of showing us the depth and heart of Wilberforce's spiritual journey and passionately convicted life. I pray that many people, Christian and otherwise, will see it and be moved...by William Wilberforce's lifelong commitment, and by the amazingly gracious God who won his heart and called him to the task.
~befus, 2007
*Quote taken from gbgm-umc.org
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD Video Occasion: Good for Groups
From the makers of Ray, Amazing Grace tells the inspiring story of William Wilberforce and his passion and perseverance to pass a law ending the slave...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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