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The Book of Negroes

The Book of Negroes (2015)

January. 07,2015
|
7.8
| Drama History War

Kidnapped in Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata must navigate a revolution in New York, isolation in Nova Scotia and treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone, in an attempt to secure her freedom in the 19th century.

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Reviews

SnoReptilePlenty
2015/01/07

Memorable, crazy movie

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XoWizIama
2015/01/08

Excellent adaptation.

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Portia Hilton
2015/01/09

Blistering performances.

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Fatma Suarez
2015/01/10

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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Shanelle Vaz
2015/01/11

The Book of Negroes miniseries was amazing! The cast truly portrays what the African people had experienced throughout the years. Even in the pilot episode, the Book of Negroes depicts the torture, loss of identity and culture that the people faced. Unlike other movies or television shows that revolve around slavery and oppression of black people, the vividness of the show really hit me hard. There are a few moments when I had to shut my eyes because it was became too intense and I couldn't bear to watch. The story is a great reminder of the hardships and suffering of the African people and captures the true meaning of why we celebrate Black History month. It is one of the most interesting shows I have watched as it gave me better insight of how the slave trade functioned and the oppression of a whole race as well as the many cultures within it.I would definitely recommend others to watch the Book of Negroes or read it. It is a heartbreaking yet an eye-opening story.

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fiona_r_lamb
2015/01/12

I read the book Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill a few years ago. I loved the book. Took me a while to watch the mini-series but I just finished binge-watching it with tears flowing down my face. So very powerful. It truly makes me sick to see the revolting things white human beings have done to people not of their colour.One of the reviewers has talked about the anti-Semitism. Well, I must vehemently disagree with that person. Firstly, the two Jewish characters were portrayed in a very sympathetic light - the wife treated Aminata very well and kindly. The husband brought a reunion about with Aminata and her long lost daughter, May, at the very end. Yes, he sold May initially but he thought he was doing her a favour. So, I don't see any anti-Semitism in this min-series at all.I would love to see this book on the school curriculum everywhere. I have researched this period of history and the book/TV series stays very close to reality. Well done to all involved!

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zaina-jalloh
2015/01/13

The book of Negroes does something that most Slave-genres do not. They give a voice to the African slave. I don't mean the Black-America slave, but the African slave. Warning, may contain spoilers.It is rich with authenticity, and empowering despite the genre it covers. Aminata Diallo is a brave soul, an abolitionist, a feminist and she is African. The series gives a glimpse of the rich culture that existed in Africa prior to Colonization, and helps give a better understanding of who enslaved African were (most slave narratives provide insight on who enslaved Africans became-under the whip if I may add). Chekura Tiano dispels the myth of the powerless black man and his relationship with Aminata validates the African family even as it was being ripped apart by slavery. Their relationship was in many ways a sort of fairytale, it carried with it the essence of traditional story-telling.Over-all, I enjoyed the series and hope to see it extended; maybe to fully explore either the colony in Sierra Leone, or Africa prior to the events in the series.

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Prof_Lostiswitz
2015/01/14

The Book of Negroes was an eighteenth century British document detailing all the Afro-Americans who had fought on the British side in the Revolutionary war, and were promised a new life elsewhere. A considerable number ended up in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. There were problems with the harsh climate and petty racism, but it was better than the alternative.This program takes its name from that, and the first episode looks quite satisfying, as we trace a black girl's odyssey from Mali to America.So far, it does not seem much different from Roots, but I will keep watching to see if something original turns up.

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