Slavery by Another Name Critique - Essay Example

The film just featured the actual suffering of black men at the hands of Whites. There was no exaggeration.

The film revealed that slavery in a different form was enacted even after the Civil Wars and continued till World War II. The movie is based on the 2008 published book- Slavery by Another Name. The book is a result of extensive research done by the author Douglas A. Blackmon; as such this movie is entirely based on facts. There is no amount of fabrication in it. Douglas himself is the Co-executive producer of the film.

The film used various techniques to establish its points but most important of all is the storyline. The movie is based on a book with the same title and follows closely with the original writing. The character portrayal is quite strong and the individual incidents of black men’s agonies are quite heart-rending. The strong point of the movie is the extreme graphic details. The filmmaker also used archival photographs and dramatic re-enactments to emphasize his point of view.

Writer Sheila Curran Bernard wrote the storyline of the movie with a basic adaptation from the book of the same title composed by author Douglas A. Blackmon. Sheila has used several sources to authenticate the reality of the storyline. Sheila's sources vary from business records to one "Sheriff's Feeding Account, 1899-1901". She also uses government documents and articles by an assortment of various academics, some of whom are included in the movie. She also looked into newspapers of that era and web-based resources.

I had always thought that Civil War was the ending of the slavery system. The war put an end to the Black’s miseries and the black populations were able to lead a better life. Of course, I knew that racial discrimination continued to flourish in the country, and still American society witness one or the other form of racial discrimination. However, I was completely unaware that Blacks suffered a different kind of slavery and that it continued for so long a period. The movie contradicts the theory I was holding about Black people’s lives and acted as an eye-opener.

Samuel D. Pollard’s movie, Slavery by Another Name is based on historical facts. Dr. Sharon Malone, wife of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in the PBS portion of the 2012 Winter TCA Tour reinforces the fact that “this is American history” (January 4, 2012). The movie concerns not only South American history but the entire America for the North Americans were as guilty of the crime as the Southerners. Slavery in different forms continued to be practiced even after it was officially abolished in the country. Numerous Blacks were forcibly put into manual labor and were made to work as unpaid prisoners on fabricated crimes. Moreover, the system of convict leasing saw black men once again working in corporations or the fields of plantation owners with no pay. The officials were largely aware of this new form of slavery but nobody cared to rectify or abolish it. Slavery was worse in prisons. The black men were frequently purchased and traded and made to toil hard. This enforced employment continued even in the 20th century. Read More