"Amazing Grace" is a MUST SEE movie about William Wilberforce and the British movement to abolish slavery in the British empire. The 18th century was a hotbed of enlightenment and the issue of owning human beings as property came up in the British Parliament about the same time as the American Revolution and freedom for the American colonies.
William Wilberforce was the champion of the British 'Abolitionists' and a penpal of somebody named Thomas Jefferson. William Pitt the Younger was going to become Prime Minister of England and he asked William Wilberforce to be the front man for ending the slave trade in the British empire.
Bigtime pounds were being made in using slaves to make sugar, and 'Big Sugar' was in control of Parliament. And it took decades to end the slave trade because - no suprise - money buys politicians. Just. Like. Today.
The movie tells the story of a brave man who takes on entrenched money and power and with the help of a bunch of 'seditious' intellectuals and his brave supportive wife brings about the end of centuries long horror.
I don't want to spoil the movie so I will only hint at some things. I had never heard of the historical character William Wilberforce before the movie. The movie is a great introduction to this man.
Including the story of how the hymm 'Amazing Grace' was written and finding out that the hymn's writer, John Newton, was a contemporary of Wilberforce was news to me. I have Welsh blood in my veins and the Welsh are renowned for being able to sing, and I shivered with joy with when the actor Ioan Gruffudd sang the hymm.
The love story of William meeting his wife and how she supported him when he had his long midnight of the soul made my wife and I hold hands in the theater and smile at each other with a twinkle in our eyes for each other.
Finally the ending brought tears rolling down my cheeks.
A brave man, a wonderful wife, good friends, the most beautiful hymm of all time, and the age of enlightenment, what is not to like?
I am expecting an Academy Award nomination.
Go see it! You might see me in the audience because I intend to go again.
Lefty!!!