Cry Freedom

Some movies touch the soul...that's probably why I love to watch them. Yeah, I love shoot 'em ups and vampire movies more than anyone I know, but sometimes I want to watch a movie that makes me feel like a better person for having invested my time.

A couple of weeks ago, Angie and I watched Amazing Grace. I blogged about it at the time, and I remember being touched by the description of the conditions aboard the slave ship. I wanted to know more, and I realized I never saw the movie Amistad, so I put in into my queue and put it to the top of the heap.

Angie and I watched it last night and I don't know if I will ever forget the experience. In fact, I am tearing up as I type this post. The brutality and the inhumanity on the ship cannot be imagined. The movie recounts how the crew threw 50 people overboard because they realized they did not have enough rations. As you can imagine, Steven Spielberg portrays the brutality as realistically as possible and it is disturbing. The story is about the fate of the 44 surviving Africans aboard the ship who revolt against their captors.

The brutality is countered by the humanity shown by the lawyer and by John Quincy Adams who end up representing the Africans in court and ultimately in the US Supreme Court.

The movie is something special. I recommend watching it to see the worst, and best, of humanity.

SL