Emancipation - Uma História de Liberdade

Not a reference to the subject matter, but the cinematography. I get it... I get that sometimes black and white, or in this case, extremely low level of color saturation allowed, can, and has been used in an artistic way. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why such a masterpiece was done in it. This was a great movie. Great content. Great story, and based on a true story at that. WHY ON EARTH DID YOU SCREW IT UP BY REMOVING THE COLOR???? An otherwise fantastic piece. But ruined by sucking the life out of it. The imagery, and immersion that is created by films like this is wonderful. But due to no color, I felt completely disassociated from the plight of Peter. It was really hard to even stay in my seat to finish it. Stop it.... get some help...

Will Smith stars in this Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer/Bait) film from last year. Smith, a Haitian slave now in America, has just been conscripted to work for the south getting their rail lines in order but the keepers are especially brutal which spurs Smith to kill one of his minders causing him to flee w/some others while a slave hunter, the always reliable Ben Foster, hunts him down. What follows is a prolonged chase between Foster & Smith (since compatriots are lost on both sides) where Smith's innate sense of survival allows him to finally get his freedom, fight for the North & return himself back to his family. Smith in any other year may've taken this perf (just from its sheer weight & importance) to a nomination but then slapgate happened so, the film notwithstanding, feels like a mea culpa to the governing body of the Oscars to forgive him but until his own personal demons are addressed not even a cancer cure, well maybe that, will get Smith in the good graces of audiences & critics alike. Also starring Mustafa Shakir as a fellow slave & Steven Ogg, from the Walking Dead, as a Confederate sergeant.

First, the choice to film it in B&W comes hard, but probably they tried to achieve symbolism to give us a perspective of the hard life - hard times and where they focused on the hard work and survival instead of the colors of nature - life itself.

Second, there are just too many so-called coincidences and moments that make you ask yourself what were they thinking, how come a man that probably was born in slavery knows so much about running from it, how does he even know how to use a gun and to shoot anything with it.

Overall, it seems like the director forced himself and the entire movie, ruining the storyline and the continuity.

Well, I really enjoyed the film. It is a story about survival, freedom and individual self-confidence. Will Smith's performance was amazing. Odds of winning a Oscar for his performance is very high. Good cinematography, unique color correction and a brilliant stunt sequence.

The alligator scene in particular was shot very well. The ugly truth of slavery shows how few inhuman animals existed in the past. Small request for the viewers, Don't compare movie with the artist personal life, both are different.

An emotional drama about slavery and a reminder of how unfair the past has been to people of color.

It's nothing you haven't seen before, but that doesn't mean that it's a chore, reflecting on past wrongs and crimes, should be done all of the time, especially, as there are those who don't abhor; here we journey in the mire, the swamps that inflict pain and tire, to escape the evil clutches of the whip, the gun, dog judges, through a world that's cruel and dire, freedom's something you acquire, but you're more likely to win, a back of waves and rippled skin.

For me, the cinematography and the semi monochrome effect detracted from the whole. Some of the dialogue was a bit prosaic and the story was predictable; I needed to have the subtitles on to understand a lot of what was being said. I don't think it will go down as a landmark piece of filmmaking on the subject of slavery, to compare it to 12 Years a Slave or Antebellum or indeed Roots would give it credibility it doesn't deserve, but it does deserve some credit, and it does have a story to tell.