Customer Reviews

Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad (EP Version) [VHS]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just watched this movie for a study in my history class, and was completely captivated. I thought it was going to be a boring
school movie, but was amazed to find otherwise. After the film ended, I was heartbroken because I wanted to watch it again. Fortunately, I know that it is available on video so I might purchase it in the near future. RACE TO FREEDOM is a superbly acted, well dramatized historical film that displays the horror
of slavery with great intelligence. This film is well scripted
and well laid out. The ending, though being very fairy-taleish
is extremely happy and when it ended, our class clapped. Hehe, and when Solomon shot the bounty hunter (from 'Cowboys Don't Cry'), our class cheered. An excellent film.

This video is an excellent addition to anyone's library. It follows the journeys of four runaway slaves to the promised land in Canada. The filming is beautiful and the story heartrending and powerful. Shows the difference that human beings can make by helping one another against the odds. I would definitely recommend this movie.

This is a film demonstrating the frustrating experiences and heroic attempts of abolitionists and fugitive slaves. It is a great introduction to the subject for younger viewers. Some scenes are graphic in violence (true to life). Other sequences are little more than stereotypical vehicles for a storybook happy ending. The cruelty of slavery is minimized, yet the terror of attempted escape is portrayed intensely. The streamlined representation of the Underground Railroad is romantacized and not enough credit is given to the initiative of the runaways themselves. As a film it is engaging. As a representation of history it needs a clarifying introduction.

The movie took me inside the Underground Railroad and showed how people of all walks of life were involved in assisting African-Americans in helping them cross into Canada.

This was a wonderful historically accurate representation of slavery and the operation of the Underground Railroad! I watched this with my 11 year old son. It kept us on the edge of our seats. My son said, "Mama, I did not know that slaves were treated this badly."

A previous reviewer said it was good for class study. I agree. This movie gives an elementary introduction to the fugitive slave law of 1850, the Underground Railroad, and the slave catchers hired to return fugitives. There are some serious problems: mainly the audio is terrible. Considering how bad it is I am stretcheing ti to give three stars to this video. This problem has been discussed by previous reviewers, and if I had read them before buying it I might have not spent the money. Eith my fvolume turned as high as possible I still missed half the dialogue.
If you can get this for a couple of dollars it is worth the price. The story is fair, the quality of the disk is terrible.

I used this movie in my U.S. History class as we were discussing Slavery, the Underground Railroad and the events leading up to the Civil War. It gives a great depiction of what slaves would go through to get away from the everyday struggle of being a slave. Very interesting and engaging for students to easily follow along.

When I was in 5th grade, I seen this movie. When I heard the title I was determined to see it. If you like learning about history and really want to know about The Underground Railroad, I definitly suggest you see it. I loved this movie so much that I'm even looking foward to buying the DVD! Even If you hate history, i still recommend it:D

Race to Freedom is worth watching as an introduction to the underground railroad leading up to the Civil War. Some of the characters intertwined in the story are actual historical figures who played roles in the underground railroad. The technical quality of the sound on the copy I recieved was not very good, but all in all it is worth watching.

I use it in my classroom as a tool to support my curriculum.