We went to see Amazing Grace last night. An enjoyable film, well shot, although we agreed that it would probably have made sense to have had more input from black people when it was being planned. However, we also then agreed that if black people had wanted to make a film about the slave trade, they could have done so. If they could get the funding. Micheal Apted certainly focuses on the story of Wilberforce's fight to bring about the Abolition of the Slave Trade, rather than Equiano's story, for example. Interesting to learn that Wilberforce suffered from colitis.
Other than that ... I think some of the pupils still thought that the inspectors were in, their behaviour was so good in the morning. Didn't last all day, though! But not too bad. There were assemblies all day where the head was able to tell the pupils the good news, and one of the AHTs sang "Something inside so strong" with a choir, keyboard, guitar and drums. Really nice, joyful. Very funny, though, when I walked past the hall on the way to lunch and saw the head standing on a chair clapping his hands above his head and getting the year 7s to stand and sing, bemused. Think he may have still been recovering from the night before! Anyway, he's obviously very relieved!
Today we've done some sewing. I still need to make a baptism card for tomorrow and write an essay for Thursday, so better go.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Looking forward to going to see this as we have been studying the subject in our bible study, bringing it up to exploitation in the present day. Heard the director of it explaining that he wanted to address primarily Wilberforce's struggle between his faith and being a political activist, without much knowledge of what this involved, and he wanted to the audience to see the events of the day from Wilberforce's perspective, which is why he didnt show so much of the slaves themselves... Did that come over?
Yes, there is quite a bit of that struggle in the film, although perhaps it is a bit clearer to someone who has faith already, rather than someone who doesn't, who might just wonder why he doesn't get on with the business of trying to bring about abolition. However, there are a few quite nice touches where he talks about God and his faith very naturally, and the main abolitionists are all involved in the church.
Having heard interviews with the Director beforehand, I was not surprised at the angle taken in the film, but H was still agrieved that the opportunity had not been taken to make the film more inclusive ... as he pointed out, would my pupils recognise this as a film for them, or not? Although he didn't express himself quite like that! The Guardian described the film as "straight, solid white man's drama". Probably sums it up quite well. Very well done ... quite funny in most places, and moving in others.
I'll send you an email ...
Post a Comment