Skip to main content

Amazing Grace - the movie

We rented 2 movies last evening. i chose Amazing Grace while Hao-e chose a B-flick Shanghai Kiss. i know, "what the..." must be flashing in your mind now. Shanghai Kiss has the cheerleader from Heroes (the NBC serial)... that's about all... you can google it and find it on imdb. (i ain't gonna say much about it, cos it's not worth the effort.)

but anyway, i digress. Amazing Grace is what this post is about. if you are bored like i am and you are taken by grown men in tights and wigs with thick english/scottish accents and girls with huge skirts and heaving breasts, i mean chests, in plunging necklines... OR just simply, you would like to be amazed (pardon me!) by the abolitionists who worked tirelessly in the late 18th and early 19th century to stop the British slave trade, and marvel at the origins and power of this hymn, then this movie is perfect for you. The protagonist William Wilberforce (acted by Ioan Gruffudd... just the name is enough to intrigue... it's welsh btw) was a man torn between public office and God's office. His close friend, who incidentally became the youngest PM in British History at 24 years of age (!) - William Pitt the Younger, suggested he do both i.e. fight 300 MPs in the House of Commons and abolish the inhuman slave trade. Slave trade in those times was so entrenched in the British economy. You had to begin by changing the hearts and minds of the people. Afterall who would work in the plantations and fields of the new colonies like Jamaica? The Brits needed to finance their war efforts with America and later the French. And why would you want to ban the slave trade when none of the africans are complaining? (not as if they could complain, since many just die on the sea) And why let the Spanish or French prosper when we have the poor to feed in UK?

But what about the africans who were forcibly uprooted? The slaves were shackled to unbearable small (4 feet by 16 inches) spaces on the ships and were basically living in their own waste for the journey on the sea which lasted 3-4 weeks. The weakest were thrown into the sea to lighten the load during storms. Often, ships leave with 600(!) slaves but only arrive at the destination with 200 left. The remaining slaves are branded, to quote from the film, in order to "show that you no longer belong to God, but to a man". argh, i shan't reveal too many details here, but really, if you like a great story, and some awesome acting, please watch the film. It'll make you sit up and think hard about things.

It is easy to observe the injustices around you, but will you act on it? Will you bravely choose to do what is right and stand up for your beliefs?

"If it is not you, then who?
If it is not now, then when?"
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tudors

I just realised how good looking Jonathon Rhys Meyers is? Gosh, i just love his chiseled face and beautiful eyes. Anyway, so i chanced upon this new series loosely based on THE Henry VIII, second king of the Tudor Dynasty. You guys should watch it if you are as besotted with him and as fascinated with anything royal as i am. hehe.... So i went to find out a bit more about the rather infamous king on wiki and here's some trivia about his eventful life ( i bet, with so many women around him?!) Technically, Henry was only married twice. Four of his marriages were annulled which means they never took place. His court jester was named Will Somers . The only surviving piece of clothing worn by Henry VIII is a cap of maintenance , awarded to the Mayor of Waterford , along with a bearing sword, in 1536 . It currently resides in the Waterford Museum of Treasures . Henry VIII was the first member of the English Royal Family to wear silk stockings.
7 comments
Read more
it's funny how you learn things about yourself - your likes and dislikes - every single day. here's a list of dislikes: eager beavers people who fake an accent people who talk more than they do people who claim credit when they've done nothing (oh! old debts) back-stabbers gossipers (is there such a word?) that stir up trouble like there ain't enough of that already?! inconsiderate people .... more to come, i just know it is it too much to ask to have decent people around? there's a chinese saying, that even on the same hand the fingers are of different lengths. but is it really impossible to have everyone cross a certain threshold of decency and not stick out like a sore thumb? i've often wondered why some 40 year olds act the way they do - as if they hate the whole world. i think i'm in danger of being that sort of 40 year old as the list gets longer, and i meet more obnoxious people. argh. (*_*)
4 comments
Read more

Happy Easter!

Busy Easter weekend! Got my screening report from the doctors on Thursday, I have to cut down on sugars, oily food and carbs.... uhoh, nothing about the lumps so i'm grateful. Marc Jacobs bag arrived in the evening, woohoo!   Good Friday was spent in Church and shopping at Sim Lim Square for Hao-e's new PC. Pilates on Saturday morning after a week's break, super out of shape.  think i should probably start doing some exercises at home and maybe go for swim downstairs when i get a chance. Chewy had a good scrubbing session at noon then off to watch Le Noir at Sands Theatre on Saturday afternoon, fun! Cousin-in-law's wedding dinner at Conrad on Saturday evening, no shark's fin which was a bummer. Easter mass on Sunday morning followed by Qingming thingamie at Mt Vernon. Sunday brunch at York Hotel's Penang Hawker Buffet, yum! Watched 1.5 movies too - GI Joe (meh) and SVFV (vulgar).  SVFV was the movie that  was banned and made the h...
Post a Comment
Read more