Amazing Grace, He Said

By the efforts of one man great things have happened and things that seemed infallible have been defeated. And so the story of William Wilberforce, the British magistrate who dared say that the slave trade was the shame of the British Empire, is told in an emotional and compelling way by Director Michael Apted. He builds his story around the well known protest song, "Amazing Grace".

The story occurs in the 1790's in London. William Wilberforce is torn between service to the church or a career in government. His friend and soon to be Prime Minister, William Pitt, encourages him to choose politics. Pitt wants Wilberforce to be his point man on the issue of the slave trade. England rules the seas and therefore has a monopoly on the securing and selling of slaves, mainly in the new colonies of America and the Islands of the Caribbean.

It is interesting how the arguments for the slave trade echo the arguments we often hear today when change is called for. While respecting the concern for the humanitarian aspects of the issue,supporters of the Slaver's pointed out that the magistrates who were calling for abolition of the slave trade were not well informed. The slaves were well taken care of and the rumors of their demise en route and poor treatment were exaggerated and untrue. Actually, we hear one supporter of slaveing tell his colluges that slaves were residing in near paradise with land animals and patch to grow their own vegetables on, while his constituency had no such thing. Besides, they argued, the economic effect of abolition would bring down the empire. On top of that, if Britain didn't fill this need, certainly their vile and sworn enemies the French would. Why it would be like giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Really anyone who thought such things could be accused, and they were, of sedition.

The story of Wilberforce's long and complicated battle to pass legislation to abolish the slave trade centers around his relationship with a former slave ship captain, played by Albert Finny. This man in his guilt and grief over his participation in the transportation of slaves, wrote the hymn, "Amazing Grace". This music became the rallying cry for the cause and as we know went on to serve the same purpose for the civil rights movement in this country in the 1960's.

While the sitting in this film is England in the late 1700's and early 1800's, I found it interesting that when they debated the war with the colonies they used the same arguments that we hear in our legislature about the war in Iraq. When the French begin their rebellion, they worry about it "crossing the channel". Their talk of high principle and concern for the their constituency is resounding and sounds sincere, but it seems can be purchased for the perks normally associated with politics, dinners and show tickets. I sat in the theater and thought to myself that while the subject might change and issues might be looked at anew, how we operate changes not very much.