Emancipation (2022)

Emancipation is a 2022 film that brings to life the story of “Whipped Peter,” an enslaved man whose iconic 1863 image depicted the physical horrors of slavery. The narrative is portrayed from the perspective of Peter and follows his journey as he experiences slavery, escapes from it, and joins the Union Army to find and free his family and other slaves.

Overall, the film was criticized by historian and viewers alike. Viewers agreed that the film had great potential to demonstrate several facets of the reality of slavery, but fell short with poor writing, pacing, and the framing of Peter’s narrative. Historians describe how the film is more effective as an action thriller than a true historical slave narrative.

While several critics praise the acting performance of the main character, others believe that the portrayal of Peter’s story lacked depth and character exploration. Critics note how, although the film’s theatrical nature distracts from the accuracy of the story, it serves as a foundation for further exploration of topics in the stories of slavery and the Civil War.

Further Reading

Books

David Blight, A Slave No More: Two Men who Escaped to Freedom : Including Their Own Narratives of Emancipation, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007).

Dudley Taylor Cornish, The Sable Arm: Black Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865, (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1987).

James G. Hollandsworth, Jr., Louisiana Native Guards: The Black Military Experience During the Civil War, (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995).

Scott Shane, Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery's Borderland, (New York: Celadon Books, 2023).

Articles

David Silkenat, “‘A Typical Negro’: Gordon, Peter, Vincent Colyer, and the story behind slavery's most famous photograph,” American Nineteenth Century History 15, no. 2 (2014): 169-186.

Frank H. Goodyear, III, “The Scourged Back: How Runaway Slave and Soldier Private Gordon Changed History,” America’s Black Holocaust Museum, August 2024.

Tom Fordy, “‘Whipped Peter’: The Brutal True Story of the Slave Who Inspired Emancipation,” The Telegraph, December 2022.

Film Reviews

Anthony J. Cade II, “Emancipation’s Truth,” The Civil War Monitor, 2022.

Peter Bradshaw, “Emancipation Review – Will Smith Flees Slavery in Fierce, Sombre Thriller,” The Guardian, December 1, 2022.

Peter Debruge, “‘Emancipation’ Review: A Subdued Will Smith Carries Antoine Fuqua’s Brutal but Essential Slave Saga,” Variety, December 3, 2022.

Robert Daniels, “Emancipation Movie Review & Film Summary (2022),” Roger Ebert, December 2, 2022. 

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