Up From Slavery Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		2.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Up From Slavery Blu-ray Movie Review

An education in five hours.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 26, 2012

All men are created equal.

Up From Slavery is the lengthy but enthralling Documentary retelling the slavery experience from the discovery of the new world on through to the Emancipation during the American Civil War. This is a textbook come to life, a college course translated to the screen, an incredible experience brought to remarkable clarity. The history of Western slavery has never been told with quite this much detail and this much effort and with such a captivating cadence. At over five hours in length, the program at first seems daunting, but it flows quickly as it pieces together a tragic and difficult but enthralling narrative, not so much condensing centuries of history but weaving centuries of history together into a digestible, easily understood course of learning that will educate and enlighten audiences. Certainly, the Documentary style and sheer length may be a turn off to some; the piece plays with a classroom sort of flavor, but the film rises above the dry and mundane and engages viewers in the journey "up from slavery" rather than play as a simple regurgitation of people, places, things, and ideas.

Frederick Douglass.

At the time of the American Civil War, it is estimated that there were some 400,000 slave holders in the United States. In their possession were more than 4,000,000 slaves. That's 12% of the United States population denied its freedom as stated in the Declaration of Independence, for these were not men granted their Creator-endowed inalienable rights to liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and sometimes even life itself. Up From Slavery opens by asking how the freest people in the world at the time -- religious Europeans -- could so casually engage in the slave trade? The film follows the rise of the Western slave trade within Columbus' "New World." It examines the life of the slave in Africa, in transport, and in the Western hemisphere. It follows th story of Western slavery from its origins on through to its end with the Emancipation Proclamation. However, the film's narrative only stops with the legal outlaw of slavery, remaining focused and on-task, leaving 20th century segregation and integration for another film.

Up From Slavery moves incredibly fast; even considering its gargantuan runtime, the movie feels half as long, so engaging and sometimes gripping it is. In that time, the film manages to cover a great deal of information and in great detail. It's far too much to cover comprehensively in this space, but suffice it to say the film hits all of the expected areas that comprise the story of American slavery. The film covers the African slave trade and the arrival of slaves to the Americas. It focuses on pro-slavery legislation, such as that law stating that the children of enslaved black females will themselves be defined as slaves. It examines the master-slave relationship, slavery's rapid growth in the American colonies, both the Somersett and Attucks cases, slavery in the time of the American Revolution, slave rebellions, and viscous violence on both sides. The film recalls in detail the role of sugar, tobacco, and cotton in slavery; the growing divide between the North and South; the "3/5ths" and "fugitive slave" rules; the rise of the abolitionist movement; the emergence of Frederick Douglass and the importance of Uncle Tom's Cabin; the Underground Railroad; and of course the American Civil War and President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Up From Slavery may not enjoy the same sort of spit and polish and museum-quality presentation as some Documentaries, but the story and the narrative flow more than make up for any visual or technical shortcomings. This is classroom-appropriate material, though obviously considering the length educators may wish to show only segments at a time or clips in the reinforcement of a lesson rather than spend a week or two showing it in fifty-minute stretches. The Documentary combines recreated live-action footage, drawings, paintings, photographs, and recreations of period texts. The variety aids in the flow and quality of presentation. Coby Batty's narration is perhaps the film's strongest technical asset. His narration flows naturally and with a commanding presence and understanding of the subject. Never does he sound as if he is reading, but rather dramatically recalling the history. He could pass not for merely a narrator, but for an extremely knowledgeable professor speaking off-the-cuff and with some flair. The film does recycle video footage throughout, but at five hours that's understandable. The film works because of the heart and current that runs through it. This is honest, informative, and well-done Documentary/Educational filmmaking that everyone interested in the subject should see.

The following seven segments comprise Up From Slavery:

• 1619 Virginia -- The First African Slaves Arrive.
• 18th Century Colonial America and Slavery Under the Rule of the British Empire.
• Slavery in the United States After the Revolution.
• Nat Turner's Rebellion, 1831.
• Abolition from the North Grows.
• The Civil War -- Emancipation Proclamation.
• Aftermath of the Civil War and the New "Freedom".

Up From Slavery Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Unfortunately, Up From Slavery's Blu-ray picture quality doesn't match the film's excellence. This is a rather poor video presentation that never excels, rarely impresses, and appears only stable when showcasing still photographs, drawings, and paintings. These elements appear well-defined and crisp. They're sharp and clear and appear with little in the way of the sort of problems that plague the live action footage. Indeed, that recreated footage proves most problematic. Most every scene features some, if not all, of the following areas for concern: heavy banding, intense blocking, aliasing, jagged edges, terrible color gradations, and flat detail. Color does appear mostly balanced and accurate, evident on natural greens, military uniforms, flags, and other, brighter shades. The video footage plays with that heavily glossy and very flat low-grade HD video appearance. Fortunately, the low price and the quality of the film supersedes the rather poor video presentation.

Up From Slavery Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Up From Slavery features a flat DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The film's audio presentation is defined largely by the narration. Unfortunately, it's flat, harsh, sharp, and unnaturally heavy. When narration stops, it's as if the entire track drops out. A light hiss accompanies much of the track. Music plays a little better, sounding somewhat rich and full. The familiar "Steal Away Home" refrain that plays often through the film enjoys nice clarity. Some music even sports a quality low end feel, for example in support of the music playing during the retelling of the Zong Massacre incident. This track is pretty bland and straightforward, but it gets the job done without too much in the way of evidently problematic areas, particularly away from narration.

Up From Slavery Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, Up From Slavery contains no supplemental content.

Up From Slavery Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Up From Slavery is a well-made and narratively-intoxicating feature. It runs at what first may seem a daunting five-plus hours, but the film feels half that length. It covers a lot of material quickly but in great detail. This is history as a story, not as facts to be memorized. It's suitable for home watching or classroom use. The narration is excellent and the film's physical structure is strong. Unfortunately, the picture quality comes up short and the audio presentation is simple. No extras are included. Still, given the quality of the content and the price, this release comes highly recommended for students of history and for classroom use.