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Movie
Review – Amazing Grace |
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Amazing Grace - the movie
Review by Tom Gilbert
FourBoys Films
Official movie website – www.amazinggracemovie.com
Available
on DVD from Fox Home Entertainment and Bristol Bay Productions
 Amazing
Grace is one of the all time best loved Christian hymns. It
was penned by John Newton, a one time slave trader captain
who knew firsthand the horrors that countless Africans endured,
being robbed of their homeland, their freedom and their dignity.
Newton was actively engaged in the business of slavery for
a number of years, but he eventually “saw the light” and
changed his ways, due in no small part to a shipwreck in which
he nearly drowned. “To save a wretch like me” takes
on much stronger meaning when you understand the story of the
man who wrote that verse.
Amazing Grace, the movie, is not the
story of John Newton, although he plays
a part in it. It is the powerful tale
of William Wilberforce (portrayed in
the film by Ioan Gruffudd) and his
many years fighting to abolish the
slave trade by Great Britain. Wilberforce
was as young as anyone could be when
he first became a Member of Parliament
(an MP as they are known). At just
twenty-one years of age and from a
wealthy and privileged family, it is
perhaps surprising that he would become
a champion of the abolitionists. At
first he didn’t involve himself
in any great moral cause; that changed
after his sudden conversion to evangelical
Christianity in 1785. And, as the movie
dramatically demonstrates, while he
could talk with great passion about
the wrongs of slavery it took convincing
and encouragement from his fellow abolitionist
friends to really understand the harsh
conditions of slavery. In particular,
Thomas Clarkson (played by Rufus Sewell),
gave him visible evidence of the chains
and harsh ship conditions the slaves
endured. And Olaudah Equiano (Youssou
N’Dour), a former slave who penned
a popular book about his experience,
has a brave scene of opening his shirt
to show Wilberforce the brand that
owners applied to their new property.
William Pitt, the young Prime Minister at that time, was a
friend of Wilberforce and he convinced him to be the parliamentary
leader of the abolitionist movement in 1787. It was several
years of debating, introducing bills, and having defeats before
England finally agreed to outlaw slavery. Many of the fine
actors in this movie played members of parliament opposed to
Wilberforce. One of them, Lord John Gray (played with the steady
aplomb we’ve come to expect from Michael Gambon) eventually
came to his side and helped him to win over others.
The role of John Newton was magnificently portrayed by Albert
Finney (has he every received the proper acclaim due his prodigious
talent?). In the movie we see Newton some time after his conversion
to Christianity. He’s changed his ways and is living
a life of solitude and apparently some manual labor as we see
him swabbing the floor with mop and bucket in his first scene
with Wilberforce. Eventually he agrees to deal with the “ghosts
of his past”, the many thousands of slave victims he
took to the New World on his trips across the Atlantic, and
writes his “confession”. His moral support of Wilberforce
was critical in keeping the cause of abolition alive.
The Abolition Act received the Royal Assent and became law
on March 25, 1807. It was a long and hard fought 15 years to
that point. Wilberforce almost gave up a few times, but he
was spurred on by his friends, his wife and his Christian convictions.
He suffered ill health and stomach problems throughout his
life that made the battle all the more challenging.
Amazing Grace is a powerful film. Its cinematography is wonderful
and the direction of Michael Apted is top-notch. The movie
is now available on DVD (order
online here).
Order
the DVD
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Scripture taken
from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission
of International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered
trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark
for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written
consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA.
All rights reserved.
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