Review: Emancipation

We all knew this situation would have to come at some point. The first film for Will Smith since 'that incident' at this years Oscars.

So I think whatever film it was or how good it was going to be, there would be a natural backlash from certain people going into the film wanting to hate it.

Not with me, as like with any film I go into it with an open mind. Especially when it is Antoine Fuqua that Smith is collaborating with.

Fuqua may be more associated with crime or action. So seeing a bit of history being added to his back catalogue can only naturally raise my interest.

Given the subject matter, it's a tough watch from the very beginning and it doesn't let up. However the atmospheric tone and stylish camerawork avoids it from being hard to watch.

The tension keeps you invested and the brutal violence makes you want to actually not want to see any punishment inflicted. It really doesn't hold back.

There are clear similarities to 'The Revenent' that I noticed. There is a drive for revenge, the violence is raw and there is a lot of natural and sweeping landscapes. There is also a part that reminded me of '1917' with the long tracking shots and inclusion of a notable war.

Will Smith does a good job with this. The commitment is clear in both his acting and his characters story arch and I liked the physical aspect of the performance. But I wasn't into the accent that much. 

It was great seeing Ben Foster in this who was basically going back into his terrifying and unsettling role in '3:10 To Yuma'. I always feel Foster is one of the most under appreciated actors right now and this was a top bit of casting.

The style is the star of the film for me. Some of the sweeping camerawork used by drones is very well put together. The wide shots of the Louisiana swamps gave that sense of unable to escape the horrors our central character was facing and the way it travels through entire workforces was very pleasing. That for me is how you use drones to show actual film footage. Take notes Michael Bay.

Also, the colour choice is peculiar but effective. It almost looks like it is in black-and-white. But you can tell that there is some colour coming through in certain parts. It may frustrate some people as to the reason for this choice. But I personally didn't mind it as it felt different and well used in certain sequences.

The script wasn't anything to shout about for me. It served its purpose to keep the story to a satisfying standard. In the end, I did somewhat let it off as it was the visuals that really told the story.

So while I did think it was a gripping and stylish piece of work. It did look as if it was trying too hard to be liked and appreciated for awards consideration.

It also felt a bit long for me. The duration feels noticeable in the final act as some bits felt repetitive and there is a point where you feel we're at the end. However, there is still another large scale harrowing sequence to come.

It works at giving you that sense of fear and the brutal violence gives it great authenticity of that period in history. I can certainly recommend it as it is based on an important event and the overall style is pleasing to watch. But it's noticeable efforts to be awards worthy and not being convincing enough makes this pretty good, but not quite great.

Rating: 7/10