Up from Slavery (2011)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up From Slavery is a documentary film (in seven parts) which premiered in 2011.

 

The topic is the history of African Americans and slavery in America during a period of almost three centuries: from 1619 to the first years after the Civil War and Reconstruction.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Director: Kevin Hershberger

** Writer: Baron Blakley

** Narrator: Coby Batty

** Production: Lion Heart Film Works

** Available on Tubi TV

** Language: English

** Subtitles: English

** Total run time: ca. 306 minutes

 

As stated above, the film is divided into seven episodes.

 

Here are the headlines:

 

Episode 1

1619 Virginia – The first African slaves arrive

Run time = ca. 38 minutes

 

Episode 2

18th century colonial America and slavery under the rule of the British Empire

Run time = ca. 48 minutes

 

Episode 3

Slavery in the US after the American Revolution

Run time = ca. 45 minutes

 

Episode 4

Slave rebellions in America including Nat Turner’s rebellion of 1831

Run time = ca. 44 minutes

 

Episode 5

Abolition in the North is growing

Run time = ca. 42 minutes

 

Episode 6

The Civil War and President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863

Run time = ca. 45 minutes

 

Episode 7

The aftermath of the Civil War and the first years of the new “freedom”

Run time = ca. 44 minutes

 

Old drawings and old paintings are used to illustrate the account of historical events. Some historical scenes have been reconstructed by modern actors, who never speak.

 

From episode 5 and onward, the account of historical events is also illustrated by old photographs.

 

Many documentary films have a narrator and a number of talking heads. The combination of a narrator and a number of talking heads creates a good variation.

 

This film has a narrator but no talking heads. Some viewers say the monotonous voice of the narrator makes the film boring. I understand the point. The monotonous voice is a flaw. A minor or a major flaw depending on your point of view.

 

This problem is worst in the first episode, because there is only one voice the whole time. But it gets better after a while. In the remaining episodes, there is more than one voice.

 

Short excerpts from contemporary sources are included and these excerpts are read by other persons. There is a male or a female voice, depending on the source.

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 73 percent, which corresponds to 3.7 stars on Amazon.

 

There are three user reviews on IMDb.

 

Here are the headlines and the ratings offered:

 

100 = Excellent biography

 

100 = An excellent biography on the history of slaves

 

40 = Informative? Yes. Entertaining? Meh!

 

On Amazon there are at the moment 664 ratings, 296 with reviews. The average rating is 4.6 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 92 percent.

 

Here are the details:

 

5 stars = 77 percent

4 stars = 12 percent

3 stars = 7 percent

2 stars = 1 percent

1 star = 2 percent

 

As you can see, a huge majority is positive: 89 percent offer four or five stars. Only a small minority is negative: 3 percent offer only one or two stars.

 

What do I think about it? This is an important film about an important topic. 

 

In my opinion, the rating found on IMDb is too low, while the rating found on Amazon is too high.

 

Why?

 

What is wrong?

 

As explained above, there is a flaw: the monotonous voice of the narrator. And the lack of talking heads.

 

I want to find a position in the middle. I think this product deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent).

 

RESOURCES

DOCUMENTARY FILMS

 

The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow

Four episodes

2002

 

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property

Director: Charles Burnett

Run time = 57 minutes

2003

 

Race: The Power of an Illusion

Three episodes

2003

 

Slavery and the Making of America

Four episodes

2005

 

Slavery by Another Name

Director: Sam Pollard

Run time = 84 minutes

2012

 

Emancipation Road

Seven episodes

2014

 

Liberty and Slavery:

The Paradox of America’s Founding Fathers

Director: A. Troy Thomas

Run time = 85 minutes

2016

 

The Long Shadow

Director: Frances Causey

Run time = 87 minutes

2017

 

The Uncomfortable Truth

Director: Loki Mulholland

Run time = 85 minutes

2017

 

Harriet Tubman:

They Called Her Moses

Director: Robert Fernandez

Run time = 46 minutes

2018

 

Freedom's Fortress

PBS - The Future of America's Past

Host: Ed Ayers

Run time = 27 minutes

2019 

 

*****

Up from Slavery:

An Autobiography

By Booker T. Washington

(first published 1901)

(reprinted 2012 and 2018)

 

*****