7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not Very Good, January 9, 2002
This review is from: Uncle Tom's Cabin [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Many books have been made into movies. When this is done, the movie is often looked at very critically and is consistently compared to the book. Too often, the movie doesn't succeed and falls short of the expectations set by the book. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is an example of this. The movie, Uncle Tom's Cabin, sadly, does not live up to the book.
Uncle Tom's Cabin is about two slaves who are sold from their homes in Kentucky. Uncle Tom and Eliza's son Harry are both sold to Haley, but they respond to this news differently. Eliza takes Harry and runs away to Canada. Uncle Tom accepts slavery and is sold down South.
The movie Uncle Tom's Cabin doesn't tell the story very well. It leaves out some major scenes and changes some important facts. For example, Eliza crossed the river in the spring. There was no ice to jump across so she just swam. This was an important scene in the book and the entire essence of it is missing in the movie. In addition, the Bird family is completely left out of the movie! Their role was very important in the book. It showed slavery from the viewpoint of a senator's family. Also, George Shelby was changed to Christopher Shelby in the movie. They never even told the ending in the movie! They went on to explain that a war was fought and the slaves were free, but we never find out what happens to two slaves who run away from the southern plantation owner's house. Thankfully, the plot is the same, and much of the story is still there. But these differences are very annoying and unnecessary.
I thought the movie was pretty good, but adding these scenes and correcting the mistakes would have made it much better. I liked it that this movie was formatted for movie purposes instead of a play. The camerawork was very good and made it enjoyable to watch. This movie was a good attempt at transferring Uncle Tom's Cabin to a movie.
However, despite the good qualities this movie had, I still think it had plenty of room for improvement. A few corrections, and this could have been an excellent movie. The mistakes simply made it hard to watch without getting upset. Hopefully, if they try again, they'll do better and correct their mistakes.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie, September 13, 2004
This review is from: Uncle Tom's Cabin [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Although it has been many years since I read the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I don't know how well the movie follows the book; its been too long since I read the book, and I don't remember all the details, but the story makes a strong statement about slavery. How moving is the tremendous suffering of black families as they are ripped apart by masters and owners who refused to see them as human beings with souls; as people whom God loves; and whose misery did not go unseen by the all-seeing eye of God. No nation which professes any kind of religious belief could possibly turn a blind eye to any segment of the population which is enslaved. This movie tugs at your heartstrings as you watch men and women and children separated without regard to their family connections. Great movie!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Samuel L. Jackson at his best, December 26, 2005
This review is from: Uncle Tom's Cabin [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is a great movie. I don't know how true it is to the book, because I've never read the entire book. As an 8th grade history teacher, however, this movie is perfect when trying to show the students the reality of slavery in the antebellum South.
Tom is placed into a world of slavery. Tom is benevolent and good nature, and with slavery as the back drop to his life, the viewer is given a glimpse into the depravity of slavery. I think the movies does a great job of showing the extremes of slavery: a cruel slaver master, a angelic little girl, and humane slave owner (sounds like an oxymoron), a good slave, a bad slave...and so on.
The students really get into the movie, and they feel the saddness of slavery, which helps them understand the fight for the territorial expansion of slavery, prior to the Civil War. Great Movie!
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