Amor e Liberdade

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.

Films with noble themes such as this one sometimes find themselves shielded from criticism. However if you look at this film just as another movie what we have here is actually not that great a movie dealing with huge themes. The story of August Hill who finds redemption in the noble sacrifice of his way off life to aid the escape of an escaped slave is noble but I do not feel Jason Patrick lends the lead character enough weight to portray the guilt he is supposed to be carrying. Again Thandie Newton as the slave girl Analeese is okay, but the character is very two dimensional. There is little to no support story or characters and in the end this feels like a bog standard television movie that is only lifted out of the doldrums by a decent conclusion. I for one will not be watching this again.

Jason Patric plays the title character in this period piece during pre-Civil War times. He's, well, journeying home from selling his home-grown goods, and comes across Thandie Newton, a runaway slave. After a brief internal conflict, he decides to help Thandie find her freedom. Together they go on both a physical and emotional journey throughout the course of the film.

While there are some very well-acted scenes, this is a pretty common plot line of movies that take place in the 1800s. The Journey of August King isn't the best anti-slavery movie out there, but it is far from the worst, so if you like the abundant emotions, moral lessons, and historical beauty of the time period, you'll definitely want to add this one to your list on an autumn afternoon. Somehow the southern landscapes always look even more beautiful during the fall season, don't they? Kiddy warning: Depending on how much your kids know about slavery, you might not want them to watch this one just yet.

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.

This is a BEAUTIFUL film, both in its cinematography and in its story. It is not, as one reviewer put it, about a man who falls in love with his dead wife's servant. It is about a man who risks all to aid a young runaway slave (no relationship to him or his wife). This is a powerful film about a man's struggle to follow his conscience despite a world that insists he do otherwise. I can't believe that until today (Aug 3, 2003), I had not seen this film. Too bad movies like this aren't made more often. Excellent acting, writing, directing, cinematography. A++