The Journey of August King

Wow, If you love history, this is as real as it gets. What a journey, I felt like I was right there with them. I first saw this movie on HBO. I watched several times. What sacrifices that had to be. I promise you will enjoy.

One of the best authors of North Carolina knew to come back home. Our mountains are filled with such wonderful stories of pioneers struggling to fit in with neighbors, families mingling beliefs and faith. Our forefathers have been in Buncombe county since Revolution days. With little access to this area, it has until recently been untouched with modernization. Our people were simple but lived as Kings. Jason Patric was wonderful in this movie. I am a fan.

I loved this movie, but I saw it on cable years ago. It has sat in the back of my mind and I had almost forgotten the title. I plan on finding this to add it to my DVD collection. The Conflict and journey August faces reminds me a bit of the conversion of Francis of Assisi. It poses a question, "how much would you give, and how far would you go?" If you want a movie that will boost your hope, this is a movie for that. I think it is hard to believe that this movie wasn't seen on the big screen, or really advertised. It has excellent immersion, and doesn't look or feel like a cheap movie. I think it is one of the best stories told in film.

I stumbled upon this piece of art on my way to bed. 3:39am is not late at all for a film such as this. August King detailed courage and conviction in the most vulnerable way imaginable. Witnessing this man endure all to the benefit of another, under the most trying of circumstances, offered more in cinema than any three films I can immediately recall. Jason Patric has always impressed me, but now has my loyalties as a viewer. This film brings to light the inner struggles of every decision we must make in this life, and our acceptance of the consequences. The "Journey" compels one to ponder whether we do enough for the sake of selflessness. August King risks and loses all to lend a hand in starting life anew for a young runaway slave (mastered by Thandie Newton -- a performance and character not soon forgotten by me). Through every twist and turn, August willingly suffers the sorrows of his devotion to an unpopular cause. He challenges his own convictions to do what instinctively seems right. In the end, his pride was enough to convince me of the value of sometimes following your heart. If you have time or if you don't, stay awake and take this journey. This one just made my list. And my list is very short. Is this a film I recommend? No, this is a film I insist.

Of the handful of comments for this extraordinary film, most of them have the story wrong. The tale is not about a man "falling in love with his dead wife's slave." August King becomes involved in helping a young negro girl escape from her cruel owner in the backwoods of South Carolina in the early eighteen hundreds. The love is more sacrificial than sexual, and the film teaches excellent lessons about duty, honor, compassion, responsibility, and making choices. August finds himself through helping Annalees.

It's beautifully filmed and very stirring, with the kind of conclusion that makes many other films seem incomplete and shallow. This is an excellent film. It's also very family-friendly aside from some thematic elements (a slave is cleaved in half, animals are slaughtered, and so forth). I purchased it on a whim and never regretted the twenty bucks I spent. Everyone should see this at least once.

The film has a strong moral message to give to the viewer. It raises a question on the mind: is it enough to be a person working for the well-being of himself and family in a honest way in order to be considered to be a good, honorable man? The answer is no. It is not acceptable to condone the cruelty or injustice of others, a conscientious man should fight against them.

At the very beginning of the film, there is a scene where a man kills his wounded dog. August King would like to stop him, but he did nothing, just turned back go his own way....At the end of the film he tells that he won't be the man he was used to be...i think he meant such situations...During his journey, August King turned to be a man who would not hesitate to break the rules to do whatever he thinks it is right to do.

In sum, the film is something much more than a love story and i very much liked it.