Customer Reviews

Simon Schama's Rough Crossings

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

 

 

I'm a bit of a Simon Schama fan. His documentaries are gripping and he writes with a verve and humour that makes even prosaic detail seem like high drama. This feature-length documentary tells a fascinating story of the slaves who were induced to fight on the British side of the Revolutionary War and were then treated very shabbily in Nova Scotia before being treated even more shabbily in the newly-created but not at all free "Freetown" in what is now Sierra Leone. The characters in this drama are interesting but Schama-philes may consider that this is not on a par with "Power of Art" or "History of Britain". Perhaps it's the slightly preachy, forlorn tone that tells you, right from the beginning (as it does expressly at the end) that this is not going to be a feel-good story. I do, however, think that this documentary is a quality offering and well worth considering.

I saw this movie last night for my History of Slavery class. My professor, who, incidentally, is mentioned in the credits (Joe Opalla) thought that it was absolutely horrible and will never show it again. I wish I could give it negative stars. While I understand why people liked it, it was such an utter misrepresentation of the events. For one, what the documentary fails to point out is that only the slaves of "Rebels" were freed. The slaves belonging to the loyalists were not granted their freedom. There were many English people who owned slaves in Nova Scotia! This is in addition to the fact that the English were the ones who introduced slavery to the Americas, and without them, the Transatlantic Slave Trade would probably not have existed at all (North America was responsible for only 4% of slaves purchased). The whole thing was not an exercise in British "liberty" and "freedom" but a way of undermining the Rebels economically. Also, while most of (around two thirds) of the Nova Scotians were born in Virginia or the Carolinas, they all had African accents, Nigerian according to Dr. Opalla. Overlooking the unnecessary dramatics (like Clarkson being found alive right before they threw him overboard--In reality, he was pronounced dead but they hadn't wrapped him up yet.) the documentary was inaccurately critical of the abolitionists in England. They were trying to help though they weren't granting full autonomy to the Freetown colony, partly because they had been rather disillusioned by the utter failure of the first colony that lasted only from 1787-1789. That colony (Granville Town) had been populated by free black men who had been living in England. While the documentary is right in saying that the whites in the colony were utterly useless, much of the movie is inaccurate, both in facts, and in spirit and sentiment. Clarkson was a hero as was Peters but I'm so sick of this type of tripe! If you want to learn about the black loyalists and the abolition movement in general, I highly recommend the book "Bury the Chains" by Adam Hochschild.

Amazing story that is alternately thrilling and depressing if anyone can turn such a downer story into something grand Simon Schama certainly can. Not to gush but the more I watch presentations by this guy the better I like him. This is one of those times where I could write 5,000 words and not begin to express how good "rough crossing" is, so do yourself a favor and check this out now.

Overall-Spellbinding why does no one in America know this story? It may be slightly preachy but it is mostly about a particularly ugly series of events in Human history.

I watched the documentary/drama on PBS and was deeply moved by this part of the British history. It made me eager to read the book, which is excellent. Siman Shama makes history interesting and relevant. The BBC production is the closest it could be to Simon Shama's book. It's very educational and most enjoyable.

Coupled with the "Patriot Featurete," at the end of "The Patiot," and "Amazing Grace," this creates the perfect trio to cover the issue of slavery and the question of abolition. A great classroom modular: good acting, good visuals, a wonderful gem.

Narrated by Simon Schama this documentary tale focuses on slaves of the American Revolution. The British told them that if they could get to their lines that they would be freed and put to work as soldiers and the like. A fair number did escape and after their military service they were sent up to the dismal Nova Scotia which didn't quite work for them as they were a notch just above slaves and some were manipulated beyond belief. To the credit of the British commanders by the way at one point in New York City the British had to make terms with the rebels and when the issue of escaped slaves came up the British said the slaves were coming with them because of a contractual arrangement. After Nova Scotia the idea comes up to send the freed slaves to a Free Town in Africa (later known as Sierra Leone) where they would govern themselves. It doesn't go too well for a variety of reasons but the fact that something like this even happened is pretty amazing by the standards of History. Note that this is probably a few notches down from Simon Schama's narration of "History of Britain". STORY/PLOTTING: B; NARRATOR: B plus; MINING THE TOPIC: B plus; HISTORICAL ACCURACY: B; MY GRADE: B to B plus.

I have had these 10 CDs for some time; but will have to wait for sufficient time to listen to them, and the right frame of mind to sustain me through what promises to be fairly harrowing listening. I expect they will be good, as I admire Simon Schama's abilities in his historical productions. I will give it 4 stars in expectation of a good "read". The outer cardboard case was a bit battered in the post, but the internal casing is in good condition.

This is an accurate condensation of a very provocative book. Well edited and filmed. Schama's narration is convincing.