Amazing Grace -- Review

John Newton's beloved hymn, Amazing Grace, provides the title and thematic foundation for the film bio of abolitionist William Wilberforce (1759-1833). Having not seen it during it's theatrical run, I finally watched it on DVD last night. Although I had feared it might try to be too "evangelistic," I was pleasantly pleased with the even handedness of the portrayal. Faith does play a significant role here, but this aspect is treated in an appropriate fashion -- it's not a Billy Graham type picture in other words.

In this film version of Wilberforce's life, we see him as he is -- the friend and supporter of William Pitt the Younger. The two men had met at Cambridge and entered Parliament at the same time -- but in their early 20s. When Pitt was chosen to be PM at the age of 24, Wilberforce is recruited as a supporter.

Wilberforce is portrayed as a fiery orator and determined defender of the defenseless -- whether slaves or animals. He is seen as the advocate of reform, and in time is seen as something of a radical. But of all his efforts, it was his opposition to the slave trade that drove Wilberforce. His commitment to this calling was stirred by the spiritual tutelage provided by John Newton. I don't know if they sang Amazing Grace at his wedding, but it was Newton who provided the spiritual foundation to his efforts.

Although the movie starts slowly, given time it gets its sea legs and a movie worth seeing emerges. What is most important is the story itself -- the story of a man driven to right the wrongs of society -- even at the cost of his own health. One can't say that Wilberforce was patient, because his many failures -- years of unsuccessfully submitting his abolitionist bills -- at at his health and at least from the film portrayal contributed to an addiction to the opiate laudanum. Despite everything, he remained committed to his calling until he was able to see the abolition not only of the slave trade but slavery itself in Crown territories -- decades before it occurred in America (and mind you without a civil war).

Here before us is a man who is at once a deeply religious evangelical Christian (a member of the Clapham Sect) and also a political radical (he was made an honorary citizen of Revolutionary France -- though that is not portrayed in the movie). His radicalism and that of his cohorts will eventually put him at odds with his patron -- Pitt the Younger -- but he remains committed and a year after Pitt's death achieves his goal with an overwhelming vote in Parliament.

I'm not a film critic, so I can't speak to the film's aesthetic qualities, but as a historian I was impressed by the overall historical accuracy of the film. Even where I thought there might be problems, I discovered that there is accuracy (such as the relationship to John Newton). As person of faith it is good to see the positive side of faith portrayed. It was Wilberforce's deep faith that inspired his efforts and kept him going despite the many disappointments. When he started he had virtually no support -- William Pitt found it necessary to stand to the side, but the powerful Charles Fox did provide needed support. Still, it was the faith in God and the belief that God cared about all humanity that compelled him to act.

So, take a couple of hours, watch the movie, and be reminded that faith can have a powerful effect on life.