Welcome back to my substack and to another instalment of my monthly Christian Film Club. This week, we are talking about Amazing Grace (2006), a film about the life and legacy of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), a politician and philanthropist, now best remembered for leading the abolitionist movement throughout the 1790s and early 1800s. I first watched Amazing Grace years ago, having little knowledge of Wilberforce’s life, and loved it. More recently, I’ve become absolutely fascinated by the lives of the so-called ‘Clapham Saints’, a group of Christians who fought slavery, advocated for the poor and vulnerable in England, and were central to the Evangelical revival within the Anglican Church. Over Christmas, I read Stephen Tomkins’ great 2007 biography of Wilberforce, and it finally seemed like the right time to rewatch the film. This time, I liked it even more. I’d highly, highly recommend watching it. Here’s why.
Amazing Grace opens with an incident from Wilberforce’s life which, according to the Tomkins biography, did in fact happen as shown in the film. Wilberforce is travelling. He notices a carriage has stopped by the side of the road; two men are mercilessly beating a horse, too weak to keep going. Wilberforce dismounts his own carriage and rebukes the men for their cruelty. Once they realise who he is, the famous orator and MP, they leave the horse alone, to Wilberforce’s great relief. It is but one small, simple gesture of kindness, but it sets the tone for the entire film. Here is a man who has had fortune, wealth, and power in life, and who is going to use that power to fight for those who don’t have a voice. It’s only a couple of minutes into the film, but you’re already on Wilberforce’s side. You’re invested in his life. You want him to succeed. His cause has become your cause.
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