Slaves

This movie is really disappointing because it has such a great premise behind it with the idea taken from the Harriett Beecher Stowe story "Uncle Tom's Cabin", at least loosely taken from it. I really like Ossie Davis as an actor (R.I.P.) but the acting in this movie isn't very good at all in fact over all the quality of the movie is just bad like it was just quickly slapped together in a weekend or something. I blame the director mostly for the bad acting and poor quality of the movie over all, the script obviously wasn't very good but not quite terrible either. It is still an interesting movie and the music in it is great, I think it is almost worth watching just for the great soundtrack alone, and to see a younger Ossie Davis of course.

Released theatrically on July 2, 1969,the film wasn't seen elsewhere within its general release until either August of 1969 or 1970,the film "Slaves!" was something to remember for those who went to see this in the theatres when it was released. I was too young to see it then,but I do recall seeing it again when I was in college during a screening of the film in February during Black History Month. "Slaves!" was produced through an independent film company called Continental films,which was by the way the same low-budget film studio that was known for movies with intense subject matter,among them "Black Like Me",and "Nothing But A Man" that were released five years earlier.

"Slaves!" was one of those revisionist dramas set in the Old South that became somewhat of a inept melodrama within itself dealing the horrors of slavery,rebellion and so forth. This was an revisionist melodrama set on a plantation during slavery. The story deals with a Kentucky slave(Ossie Davis),standing up for his rights and for others on the plantation when he is unjustly sold to a bad and tyrannical overseer(Stephen Boyd) whose mistreatment and cruel intentions towards him and the others slaves drives him to foment a slave uprising against his master. Director Herbert J. Biberman depends largely upon heavy dialogue rather than visuals to convey the historical reality of the terrible injustices of slavery. While it is an important subject about the cruel and terrible punishment and the unjustly conditions of human beings,but it is done very poorly and it shows. "Slaves!" upon its release in 1969 came out during the time of civil unrest in America with the violent in the streets of America's largest cities,and the demonstrations that occurred within our neighborhoods not to mention people were still angry and bitter and reeling over the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. and Bobby Kennedy the previous year....not to mention the escalating chaos of the Vietnam War.

"Slaves!" also marked the theatrical debut of R&B songstress Dionne Warwick in her first feature role as "Cassy" one of the slaves that assists Ossie Davis in his revolt against the sadistic and tyrannical master. Warwick's performance here is not to standard,and it shows. It is laughable at times and sometimes outlandish. However,this was Dionne Warwick's first and only attempt at doing theatrical films. But the real disappointment comes from Stephen Boyd who is so over the top here its downright funny. Stephen Boyd went from starring opposite Charlton Heston in "Ben-Hur" to the lowest downpoint in his career as the sadistic overseer. The rest of the cast includes Gale Sondergaard, David Huddleston,Julius Harris,Marilyn Clark,and Nancy Coleman. I do remember this movie,upon its release had a strong "M" rating for several scenes of full frontal nudity,scenes of graphic violence and one intense scene of a rape(that included Ms. Warwick and Mr. Boyd). Had a good subject matter,but within it all,:"Slaves!" was just downright horrible. Running Time: 110 minutes

Despite, or maybe because of the budget, I gave this movie a ten. I am really surprised by the maturity of the subject matter and the fact that it didn't gloss over certain relationships. I am always surprised by movies such as Tomango and a very few others that dealt with the horrors of slavery. While Roots was epic and had the backing of the changing attitudes of the era it was produced within' these earlier films, and the actors who starred in them - both black and white - are to be commended.

By the way, despite some reviewers here saying it is loosely based on Uncle Tom's Cabin - it's not at all. I can only suppose they came up with that because, like all slaves were - the main character cites that to be a good Christian, you must do as the Bible says and be a good servant to your master. All slaves were endoctrinated and manipulated thusly.

No film with this cast can be bad, and this one isn't. Terrifying in a Tarantino way, who admires it. Watch it and enjoy.

This film initially takes place in Kentucky with a black slave by the name of "Luke" (Ossie Davis) returning from Ohio where he has just sold several horses for a handsome profit in the service of his owner "Mr. Stillwell" (Shepperd Strudwick). Although Luke is expecting his freedom sometime in the near future, not long afterward he is informed by Mr. Stillwell that, because of financial hardship, he is being sold back on the slave market. Needless to say, this news, along with the fact that he has to leave his wife and children, breaks Luke's heart but, with no choice in the matter, he accepts his fate with great resignation. A few days later, he is sold to a cruel Mississippi plantation owner named "Nathan MacKay" (Stephen Boyd) who, for the sake of his own ego, whips and humiliates the once-valued negotiator out of pride and ignorance. Yet even then, Luke remains steadfast and resolute in his beliefs and this eventually creates a major problem for Nathan and several other people working on the plantation. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film certain had its possibilities but it turned out a bit too raw and brutal for my tastes. That not to say, however, that conditions weren't as bad as depicted in this movie. They were much worse in some cases. But the interaction among many of the characters seemed rather odd and somewhat uncharacteristic at the time. At least, that's the way it seemed to me. Be that as it may, although conditions were quite horrible for slaves in the antebellum South, I don't believe this movie was as realistic as it could have been and I have rated it accordingly. Average.