DVD Review: Amazing Grace

The story of Wilbur Wilberforce has been adapted for this fine film that also touches on the author of the hymn Amazing Grace. Some fine performances make this well worth the time to see this inspirational film.

William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffud) is a young man who is also a member of Parliament. His friend William Pitt (Benedict Cumberpatch) is also a member but has ambition to become the youngest Prime Minister. His ambition means that he cannot take up controversial causes and must stay neutral.

So he sends abolitionist Clarkson (Rufus Sewell) to see Wilberforce about taking up the cause of abolishing the slave trade. This gives Wilberforce something to ponder so he goes to see his old “preacherman” John Newton (Albert Finney), a former slave ship captain who changed his ways and also wrote the famous hymn. Wilberforce is swimming upstream as his new cause is one that Parliament is dead set against but he’s not one to take such odds and sets out to change the world no matter how long it takes. Wilber Wilberforce was an extraordinary individual and not one to let odds get him down when he put his mind to solving a problem. The problem in this case was the British government’s support of the slave trade. An “industry” that provided labor that was used in a large section of the British economic industry. So there’s a large portion of the parliament that, represented in the film by Lord Tarleton (Ciaran Hinds) and the Duke of Clarence (Toby Jones), is in the back pocket of the slave trade. Wilberforce is not one to take insurmountable odds as a reason to quit a good cause and doggedly pursues his fellow members to do the right thing. The film features a great cast and powerful performances. Gruffud handles the lead well and Finney is also superb in a supporting role as the former slave trader who saw the light and then wrote one of the most famous hymns on the planet (which is also used to great effect in the film). Amazing Grace is an excellent film all around. Amazing Grace is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary with director Michael Apted and Ioan Gruffud. Next is the 28 minute “How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace” which interviews Gruffud, Apted, Benedict Cumberpatch, Wilberforce biographer Kevin Belmonte, Rufus Sewell, executive producer Jeanney Kim, screenwriter Steven Knight, Romola Garai (“Barbara Spooner”), Albert Finney, Nicholas Farrell (“Henry Thornton”), Michael Gambon (“Lord Fox”), Ciaran Hinds, Youssou N’Dour (“Olaudah Equiano”), composer David Arnold, co-producer Mark Cooper, costume designer Jenny Beavan, and Zach Hunter (spokesman for “The Amazing Change,” an anti-slavery organization).

The 6 minute “Finding Freedom” is a tour of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Next is the 4 minute “Amazing Grace” music video by Chris Tomlin, a list of partners in the production, and a DVD-ROM study guide. Amazing Grace is an amazing film about a truly amazing man. How sweet the sound of this film and one that will reverberate as Wilberforce’s legacy is given a more wider knowledge with the release of this film. Amazing Grace is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.