I can't believe I actually watched this entire movie. After having seen the ambitious yet controversial Africa Addio, I had a morbid interest in seeing this gem. WOW! There are too many words I can use to describe this brave and wanton achievement. Goodbye Uncle Tom is a historical tour de force that is offensive, shocking, bizarre, seditious, realistic, hilarious, outrageous and brilliant. All of this is achieved in a campy and carnival style of representation. Blaxploitation had hit the theaters at this time, but Jacopetti and Prosperi are truly due credit for bringing so much more depth to this genre than any other B-movie hack in history.
Goodbye Uncle Tom Begins as a journey through early 19th century America during the height of the slave trades. The purpose is to glean as much information into the realities and issues revolving around slavery in a pseudo documentary format. It's a very ingenious idea and far exceeds the bland dramas like Amistad and Roots. So the film makers are traveling in time as the actors of that colonial era interact with each other for the camera. You will see and witness the opinions of historical figures as they give their views on slavery while interacting and subjugating the black slaves. It's easy to be disturbed by this film due to its brutally realistic portrayal of slavery and torture. I often wondered if this was meant for satire or indictment. It gets confusing, because with all of the sickness going on you can't help but laugh at the unabashed racial epithets. Is this meant to provoke laughter, shock? I think Jacopetti and Prosperi are combining elements of hyperbole, shock, brutality and tragedy in order to paint a grim picture.
The film entails a stark contrast between whites and blacks. The people who were directly involved with the blacks were the oppressive, mean and callous slave traders and slave owners. Then we have the aristocrats who are completely detached from all this madness as they gallivant about in their beautiful Victorian attire looking pristine, beautiful and noble. They clearly illustrate the dichotomy between the civilized whites and the abject nature of the Negro slaves.
Does all of this seem real? In an odd way it does. It looks very realistic despite its campy delivery. But Goodbye Uncle Tom is not only an indictment of slavery, its also an indictment of integration. These arguments are presented a couple times throughout the movie. One aristocrat mentioned, "I have no desire for the institution of slavery. I got rid of my slaves. They were foul, stinky and bothersome. So I set them free. I believe in freedom, but I don't believe in equality." This is a statement that sets the tone and resonates throughout the film as we are constantly questioning the purpose of importing slaves.
Some detractors of this film dislike it for shallow and ad hominem reasons. They get offended by the content and its provocative delivery. These people fail to understand the message here. You cannot take such a controversial issue without offending someone. People are going to be shocked. 19th century America was hardly benevolent and this movie doesn't have to sugarcoat it's grisly reality. So deal with it and judge afterward.
There is no way a movie like this could ever be made today and shown to the public. As we live in a world where political correctness corrupts our natural instincts and judgement, Goodbye Uncle Tom supersedes those constraints. This is why it is such a rare cinematic gem. If you can deal with all the scurrility, violence and grotesque imagery, goodbye Uncle Tom is a must see.
Goodbye Uncle Tom Begins as a journey through early 19th century America during the height of the slave trades. The purpose is to glean as much information into the realities and issues revolving around slavery in a pseudo documentary format. It's a very ingenious idea and far exceeds the bland dramas like Amistad and Roots. So the film makers are traveling in time as the actors of that colonial era interact with each other for the camera. You will see and witness the opinions of historical figures as they give their views on slavery while interacting and subjugating the black slaves. It's easy to be disturbed by this film due to its brutally realistic portrayal of slavery and torture. I often wondered if this was meant for satire or indictment. It gets confusing, because with all of the sickness going on you can't help but laugh at the unabashed racial epithets. Is this meant to provoke laughter, shock? I think Jacopetti and Prosperi are combining elements of hyperbole, shock, brutality and tragedy in order to paint a grim picture.
The film entails a stark contrast between whites and blacks. The people who were directly involved with the blacks were the oppressive, mean and callous slave traders and slave owners. Then we have the aristocrats who are completely detached from all this madness as they gallivant about in their beautiful Victorian attire looking pristine, beautiful and noble. They clearly illustrate the dichotomy between the civilized whites and the abject nature of the Negro slaves.
Does all of this seem real? In an odd way it does. It looks very realistic despite its campy delivery. But Goodbye Uncle Tom is not only an indictment of slavery, its also an indictment of integration. These arguments are presented a couple times throughout the movie. One aristocrat mentioned, "I have no desire for the institution of slavery. I got rid of my slaves. They were foul, stinky and bothersome. So I set them free. I believe in freedom, but I don't believe in equality." This is a statement that sets the tone and resonates throughout the film as we are constantly questioning the purpose of importing slaves.
Some detractors of this film dislike it for shallow and ad hominem reasons. They get offended by the content and its provocative delivery. These people fail to understand the message here. You cannot take such a controversial issue without offending someone. People are going to be shocked. 19th century America was hardly benevolent and this movie doesn't have to sugarcoat it's grisly reality. So deal with it and judge afterward.
There is no way a movie like this could ever be made today and shown to the public. As we live in a world where political correctness corrupts our natural instincts and judgement, Goodbye Uncle Tom supersedes those constraints. This is why it is such a rare cinematic gem. If you can deal with all the scurrility, violence and grotesque imagery, goodbye Uncle Tom is a must see.