Emancipation, 'an over-inflated B movie with little gold delusions of grandeur'

Emancipation:  Antoine Fuqua's "Emancipation," starring Will Smith as a runaway slave in Civil War-era Louisiana, is traditionally not an Oscar movie. The film that premiered on December 2 in theatres and streamed today on December 9 on Apple TV+  had a considerable burden of responsibility. But it disappointed as it didn’t amount to much more than Oscar bait. 

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Written by Bill Collage, Emancipation is a propulsive, action-oriented interpretation of the real-life story of Gordon, an enslaved man known as “Whipped Peter.” A photo of his disturbingly lacerated back was taken at a Union army camp in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1863 and circulated widely in newspapers and periodicals. The image mobilised people to speak out against slavery during the Civil War.

Will Smith plays Gordon

Gordon, named Peter in Emancipation, is played by Will Smith, who slapped Chris Rock in March during the Oscars ceremony.

The film is hampered by a spare and spiritless screenplay where Smith gives a studied performance. A perpetual frown and scrunched eyebrows communicate the harshness of Peter’s life, while an erect pose displays an unwavering self-possession.

The film opens with a domestic scene to show Peter’s gentle relationship to his wife, Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa), his kids and his faith. Their tender moment is interrupted when the plantation overseers barge into their cabin to take Peter away as he has been sold to a Confederate army labor camp. Peter and hundreds of other enslaved people are forced to work on a railway.

A symbol of defiance and courage

Emancipation’s tone is defined by these jarring, abrupt shifts between softness and harshness, intimacy and violence. At the camp, Peter quickly becomes a symbol of defiance and courage.

Robert Richardson’s cinematography makes the film gray. It adds a dispirited air to the movie. It also makes it difficult to appreciate Peter as he runs through the coniferous forest, submerges himself in the muddied marsh water and hides in the thick trunks of towering trees.

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Emancipation treats the details of Peter’s journey with respect and great admiration, but its narrative, especially after he finds the Union army camp in Baton Rouge, leaves one wondering about who Peter was as a person. Fuqua’s natural command over action material is most evident when Peter battles the natural elements or tussles with the overseers that do catch up to him.

The film has important historical backdrop and is timed right as it is awards-season. However, 'Emancipation' is not quite the solemn prestige picture  but an action thriller.

Some have called it an over-inflated B movie with little gold delusions of grandeur.

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