Apple TV dropped the trailer to "Emancipation" Monday, Will Smith’s first project since he slapped Chris Rock seven months ago during the Oscars. But that’s not why the film needs our attention.
The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua — who directed "Training Day," "The Equalizer I and II" and the late rapper Coolio’s video for “Gangsta’s Paradise” — stars Smith as an enslaved man who escapes a Louisiana plantation to fight in the Union Army. It is written by William N. Collage and is based on a true story.
The preview looks intense, opening with blood dropping on leaves in the Louisiana swamp, suggesting the violence the enslaved people encountered and witnessed on their runs to freedom. Smith plays Peter, a Creole man. His French accent is thick with fear and intensity. The trailer is just under two minutes, replete with violent war scenes, but by the time Peter says, “I look with triumph at my enemies,” I felt the fear in my bones.
"Emancipation" promises to be another powerful example of Smith’s enormous talent, but people still obsessing over the slap stand to miss its importance. This is the story of a Black man who escaped slavery, joined the Union Army, and searched for his family; and he is not Frederick Douglass — the lone such man we know of, from our history books. It’s a story not told often enough.
When it comes to movies about Black history, critics often miss the forest for the trees. Something similar is happening with Gina Prince-Blythewood’s blockbuster, "The Woman King." The epic stars Viola Davis as General Nanisca, leader of the all-female warriors, the Agojie. The Agojie protected the West African Dahomey kingdom during the 17th, 18th, and 19th century, at the height of the transatlantic slave trade.
In the months before "The Woman King"’s release, the film was trashed online because, critics argued, the Dahomey tribe traded slaves with Europeans. This is true and this fact was at the heart of the movie as it showed us how the Agojie tried to convince Dahomey leaders to trade palm oil with Portuguese and English enslavers, instead of Black people. This is a recognition of history, a retelling of a story of empowerment, which should be celebrated, not silenced. The good news is, Black women raved about the film and word of mouth helped "The Woman King" supersede expectations. The movie has grossed more than $46 million in domestic sales.
It’s easy to dismiss "Emancipation." Although the movie stars Smith, it’s not about him or his Oscar behavior. It’s about gaining a deeper knowledge of American history — Black American history — and diving into the kinds of stories that have been systemically shut away. Hopefully the release of the trailer succeeds in flushing the unnecessary cattiness out of our systems, and come December, "Emancipation" will be the teaching moment it is meant to be.
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