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Emperor (15)
Directed by Mark Amin
INSPIRED by the legend of real-life 19th century freedom fighter Shields Green, known as Emperor, this rousing and passionate historical drama about a slave that fought back paints a portrait of courage and resilience.
“The history of the civil war was written by white men to serve their own agenda. It’s time for a black man to tell his own story” says the opening voice-over as the film is recounted through the eyes of Green (a fantastic Dayo Okeniyi).
It begins and ends with him joining forces with the white abolitionist John Brown (James Cromwell) and taking part in the renowned raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 — the spark that ignited the civil war and resulted in the freedom for millions of slaves.
As Brown tells a reticent Frederick Douglass (Harry Lennix), the famous black abolitionist — praised highly by Donald Trump, who implied he was still alive — in a bid for his help: “Our deaths will be the spark that lights the fuse of rebellion” — and the end of slavery, which they eventually did.
Although little is reportedly known about Green’s family or his early life, in the film he snaps when his young son is brutalised by the new manager of the plantation he grew up on in Charleston, South Carolina.
After deadly reprisals, in which he sadly loses his wife, he is then forced to escape to the north and to freedom, where he meets Brown and Douglass — perhaps not quite in the way portrayed here.
Producer-turned-director and screen writer Mark Amin (Mary Shelley and Frida) delivers a moving yet action-packed and compelling debut feature, which shines a much needed light on this unsung hero.
It is driven by fine performances from his sublime cast, including Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) and the veteran Bruce Dern, playing a good guy for a change.
However, Amin ends it on an optimistic note: failing to reveal that both Green and Brown were captured and executed following the raid. Even though the film touches on the suffering of slaves, it refreshingly explores and focuses on their fight for survival and freedom, told from their perspective and avoiding the “white saviour” plot device.
It is a fascinating tale which will make you want to discover more about the real life Shields Green and the Harper’s Ferry raid.
Released on demand March 1 and on DVD April 5
