CHRISTIAN ETHICS AND THE MOVIES
Reviewed by David A. Thomas,
Assoc. Prof. of Rhetoric, Emeritus, University of Richmond [xxi]
Amazing Grace (2006)
William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and abolitionist. Son of a wealthy Yorkshire merchant, he served nearly half a century in the House of Commons, between 1780 and 1825. Amazing Grace is a movie about his unflagging efforts to get his anti-slave trade bill passed. He first began to speak in Parliament against the slave trade in 1789. At first his was a lonely voice, and his bill never got far. In every new session, he re-introduced it. England`s far-flung empire was based upon slavery, and nearly all of the Parliament members represented those who profited most from it. Ultimately, it passed all the necessary stages and became law in 1807.
Wilberforce was even greater than the movie indicates. He was one of history`s greatest orators during one of the most vital eras in English history, standing tall alongside his friends William Pitt (the younger) and Sir Charles James Fox. Wilberforce accomplished many humanitarian goals during his public service. This included founding the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. After he finally won the battle to halt the slave trade, he broadened his campaign to attack the institution of slavery itself. When he finally retired from political office in 1824, due to poor health, he continued writing and speaking for the eventual emancipation of all slaves. He died in 1833; less than one month after his funeral, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, which gave all slaves in the British Empire their freedom. Wilberforce was buried in Westminster Chapel, next to his friend Pitt, and a 102-foot monument was erected to his memory.
Stirring oratory over many decades, per se, is not visual enough to make a stirring movie. And a two-hour production is not nearly enough time to depict all of the salient features of such an accomplished person as William Wilberforce. Amazing Grace, of necessity, is "based on a true story," but it is not, strictly speaking, a "biopic." The movie takes much dramatic license to produce a commercially viable offering. Events that required years are collapsed into single dramatic scenes, characters are reduced into "composites;" individuals who played their part in the larger story are given larger status in order to let them represent the complex work of larger groups, and so on. Parliamentary debates as they existed then are transformed into proceedings that look much more like the "Question Time" for Tony Blair shown on C-SPAN. Adding to the audience appeal, something of a romance is introduced into the narrative by bringing in his chaste five-year courtship of the woman who became his wife during his middle age.
The plot of the movie is driven by Wilberforce`s single-minded focus on the issue of the slave trade. Significantly for the readers of Christian Ethics Today, the movie is forthright in attributing his motivation to his early conversion to evangelical Christianity. A product of an Anglican family, Wilberforce came under the influence of the movement headed by George Whitefield, whose booming preaching voice could be heard intelligibly in all seats of a large stadium. At first, he had to be persuaded that, as a Christian, he could continue to serve in politics. His conversion "stuck," and he remained true to his calling throughout his life. For example, one of his bills was to require the East India Company to carry the Gospel to India. It failed, since the Company realized that religious confrontations would hurt business. The Anglicans did follow through and appoint a Bishop in Calcutta.
The central metaphor of the movie, then, is the hymn, Amazing Grace. Today, the song serves a broad constituency. Many, including myself, may think of it as the "national anthem" of Baptists. Because of its wide popularity, it is now also a standard album cut for recording artists of all faiths or of no faith. The movie reminds us that, originally, the writer of the hymn was John Newton, who was himself a slave ship captain before his tumultuous conversion. Amazing Grace is not so much about becoming a Christian as it is about gaining freedom from sin, especially Newton`s sin of trafficking in the worst of all sins in human society, excepting perhaps genocide. John Newton went on to become the leading Anglican Bishop in England, who, ironically, went blind. Wilberforce considered himself to be both his friend and a member of his parish.
Christian Ethics and Amazing Grace.
David Bruce, chief reviewer for Hollywood Jesus, interviewed Ioan Gruffud, the Welsh actor who portrayed Wilberforce in the movie:
David: Amazon.com lists the song "Amazing Grace" as the most recorded song currently available. What is there about the song that makes it so popular?
Ioan : It is about discovering truth. It is about being blind and then coming to see. David : What do you hope people will walk away with from the movie?
Ioan : We hope people will be inspired. I hope it will inspire young people to stand alone, if need be, for justice, against racism and bigotry. I hope the film will be more than just entertainment. I hope it is educational and an instrument of change. It shows that a person can change history.
Today, exactly 200 years after Wilberforce`s anti-slave trading bill passed, slavery still exists. Though slavery is not legal or sanctioned by government, many readers may be shocked to learn that slavery still exists, even in America. Humans are literally bought and sold, and their lives virtually meet all the legal definitions of what it means to be held in involuntary bondage. There are some migrant worker camps in Florida and elsewhere that qualify. Also, there are domestic workers who are employed by some affluent American households in many cities under conditions tantamount to enslavement. But little attention is paid to situations in America where victims are U. S. citizens.
Worldwide, millions of people are victimized by a $32 billion dollar human trafficking problem. The CIA estimates there may be thousands of international transactions daily. Major slave-infested industries include textiles, mining, and agriculture. Women are kidnapped on wholesale levels for the sex industry. Child labor affects some126 million children in several countries, including U. S. trade partners like China, Latin America and Africa. These and other primitive travesties are subject to ongoing United Nations human rights inquiries.
Amazing Grace, the movie, has an action link at theamazingchange.com where you can connect with groups that are working on the issue. So, the movie holds the potential for being "educational and an instrument of change"-indeed, especially if Christians and churches choose to take it on as a serious challenge. Who will apply their Christian ethics to this situation? Who will become today`s Wilberforce?
[1] David A. Thomas retired from the University of Richmond in 2004 and now resides in Sarasota, Florida. He invites your comments at davidthomas1572@comcast.net.
