William Wilberfoce is the hero
We decided to do something different for Easter this year. In the past we usually either had the boys home or a combination of the boys and invited guests. Usually we invited those that may have been spending the day alone. This year knowing the boys couldn't make it home and my not knowing how'd I'd be feeling with the toothache, we decided to see the movie I had been wanting to see for quite some time, Amazing Grace.
If you like history , you'd like this movie since it's based on the historical real life of William Wilberforce. It's the story of one man against a powerful trade of slavery in Great Britain during the late 18th century. While there were some at that time that were silently against the practice of slavery due to the unpopularity of going against it, it took this one man to change the minds of many but not without much time and effort.
Wilberforce lobbied the British parliment, as a member, for 18 years to abolish slavery finally succeeding just when he and the few helping him thought all was hopeless. Going against the establishment that had been set policy for years, and as a very young man was not easy. On his side encouraging him throughout was his good friend, former college buddy and very young Prime Minister, William Pitt. The film spent a good amount of time giving us a picture of the workings of Parliment with much time being spent right there in the House of Commons. The shouting matches that ensued whenever Wilberforce, a very articulate and bright young man in his own right, would stand to speak was irritating. No wonder he had such stomach ailments also chronicled throughout the story. The pain and discouragement he faced were constance forces he battled as well as the insufferable stuffy old men of Parliment.
In one part of the movie he showed up unbenouced to a group of the wealthy elite who were duped, crowded in a small boat , as they "just happened" to dock next to a working slave ship. The stench was noted with the ladies and gents delicately holding hankercheifs to their delicate nostrils. They were held captive for those few minutes and forced to hear the explanation of what the slaves endured during their voyage from the West Indies to the powerful Great Britain. The smell was the smell of death. This certainly made an impression on these influential people who either really had no idea or more than likely never took the time to think on such unpleasant things. This only helped to get the message out that this was definitely a human rights issue, not one of property rights as the members of parliment who favored slavery debated.
After about 18 years, in I think about 1805, Wilberforce was finally successful in getting the slave ships stopped, but it wasn't until 1833, many years later, that slavery was completely abolished in Britain. The ending of slavery in Britain set the stage for the beginning of the abolition of slavery in America. In less than 30 years America would be fighting to the death a very bloody civil war that would end slavery here as well.
In today's day when the movies are so empty, insignificant, raunchy, and predictable, it was refreshing to see a movie based on a man who was willing to fight the establishment for the good of mankind. It was an inspirational movie, and I would reccomend it highly to any that are looking for a good movie to go to this Easter Season.