Uncle Tom's Cabin

Rating:
Summary: 1800 Comes Alive!
Review: Faith is only seen by the beholder. This is what this movie is about. It moved me to my very soul. It was very well directed and the actors were wonderfully picked to fit the characters. It really demonstrated the events in the novel, by the 18oo woman writer Harriet Beecher Stowe. Of course there were some parts taken out of the novel, and some that were added. I was very disturbed by how they took out or replaced scenes from the novel. The movie really brought out the true nature of slavery and how people treat other people, who are different then they are. It was just like the novel, except you were able to see the actual events happen, instead of just reading about them. This is a real work of art that can be loved by people for generations to come. This movie has fantastically displayed all of the emotions of the characters and the situations. It was a movie I would not mind watching over and over, again. I feel that this kind of movie is just the type we need in the world today. It gave a new meaning to the word hope and love. The movie is great for teens to adults. I think that children under the age of 12 will not understand the context of the film. It will not be suitable because of some of the scenes in the movie which contain violence and adult situations. I had a great time watching this movie. The plot was very easy to connect with, and to follow along with. Faith is only seen by the beholder. This is what this movie is about. I give this movie a five stars rating, for the grand display of acting, the perfect selection of casting, and the excellent work with the camera. I really give this two thumbs up.

Rating:
Summary: 1800 Comes Alive!
Review: Faith is only seen by the beholder. This is what this movie is about. It moved me to my very soul. It was very well directed and the actors were wonderfully picked to fit the characters. It really demonstrated the events in the novel, by the 18oo woman writer Harriet Beecher Stowe. Of course there were some parts taken out of the novel, and some that were added. I was very disturbed by how they took out or replaced scenes from the novel. The movie really brought out the true nature of slavery and how people treat other people, who are different then they are. It was just like the novel, except you were able to see the actual events happen, instead of just reading about them. This is a real work of art that can be loved by people for generations to come. This movie has fantastically displayed all of the emotions of the characters and the situations. It was a movie I would not mind watching over and over, again. I feel that this kind of movie is just the type we need in the world today. It gave a new meaning to the word hope and love. The movie is great for teens to adults. I think that children under the age of 12 will not understand the context of the film. It will not be suitable because of some of the scenes in the movie which contain violence and adult situations. I had a great time watching this movie. The plot was very easy to connect with, and to follow along with. Faith is only seen by the beholder. This is what this movie is about. I give this movie a five stars rating, for the grand display of acting, the perfect selection of casting, and the excellent work with the camera. I really give this two thumbs up.

Rating:
Summary: A flawed Uncle Tom's Cabin
Review: I wanted to like this film more than I eventually did. It has some very fine moments, not least Eliza's flight across the ice, which is only just behind Lilian Gish's ice flow scene in Way Down East. This adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin however, has a number of flaws. The biggest difficulty is that it is set just prior to and during the civil war. Stowe's book was published in 1852 and really the story only makes sense when it is depicting a time prior to the 1850's. It must also be said that some of the acting in this film is not too good. James Lowe, who is the only major African American actor in the cast, is very good indeed. His performance is dignified and in the end heartbreaking. But we have to accept a quite absurd Topsy played by a teenage white girl in blackface. Moreover, Eliza (played by the director's wife) is patently too old for the part, she looks about the same age as her mother. Also the makers of this film decided that all of the 'fair-skinned' African American characters would be played by white people with so little make up that they look scarcely different from the white characters. This was to avoid offending contemporary audiences. This leads though, to some initial confusion regarding the status of characters and somewhat undermines the anti-slavery theme of the story. The print used on this DVD is pretty good. I would have preffered some colour tinting, but it is clear and has very little damage. The DVD also has the bonus of two interesting deleted scenes and some stills of some further deleted scenes. The music on the DVD is on the whole fine, but has a number of scenes where there is singing on the soundtrack which does not synchronise with the singer. This is a feature of some late silents, but I must admit I do not care for it. This film is interesting and worth seeing, but it is not the masterpiece the director was intent on making.

Rating:
Summary: Not just for Americans and Historians!
Review: I was a little hesitant to order this DVD at first, especially after reading some other reviews and comments about racial issues, but I decided to get it anyway. I'm an Australian living in Sydney so I don't know much about US History or the details of social and racial issues of the US, nor have I ever even heard of the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" but none of these things prevented me from being deeply moved, impressed and inspired by this film. It has some very heart-wrenching scenes, great suspense, deep emotions and overall extremely good acting. It didn't bother me that some white actors played black roles or that some actors appeared older than their characters because I tend to follow the story and the emotions, ideals and feelings expressed in a film. Another feature that impressed me was the music that suited each scene perfectly, and I have to admit, I was moved to tears by the scene of Topsy crying over the death of Miss Eva while a choral version of Dvorak's New World Symphony Largo played - one of my favourite pieces, but never so deeply moving as in this scene! In my opinion, the musical score added a special touch and extra dimension.I would highly recommend this DVD for all non-Americans, or even to anyone who enjoys a very high quality silent movie because a knowledge of US history or other issues is definitely no prerequisite to enjoying this excellent film!

Rating:
Summary: Not just for Americans and Historians!
Review: I was a little hesitant to order this DVD at first, especially after reading some other reviews and comments about racial issues, but I decided to get it anyway. I'm an Australian living in Sydney so I don't know much about US History or the details of social and racial issues of the US, nor have I ever even heard of the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" but none of these things prevented me from being deeply moved, impressed and inspired by this film. It has some very heart-wrenching scenes, great suspense, deep emotions and overall extremely good acting. It didn't bother me that some white actors played black roles or that some actors appeared older than their characters because I tend to follow the story and the emotions, ideals and feelings expressed in a film. Another feature that impressed me was the music that suited each scene perfectly, and I have to admit, I was moved to tears by the scene of Topsy crying over the death of Miss Eva while a choral version of Dvorak's New World Symphony Largo played - one of my favourite pieces, but never so deeply moving as in this scene! In my opinion, the musical score added a special touch and extra dimension.I would highly recommend this DVD for all non-Americans, or even to anyone who enjoys a very high quality silent movie because a knowledge of US history or other issues is definitely no prerequisite to enjoying this excellent film!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent visual supplement
Review: I was hesitant to use this DVD with my classes because I knew they would resist watching a silent movie. As I introduced the movie to my students, they complained but a hush soon fell over the crowd as shortly after I pushed play.
Students were captivated by the music and sound effects and I was amazed at the quality of the acting I saw.
I believe that teachers can do more with this version of the movie than any other. This movie follows the book very well and chapter seven is especially gripping as Eliza crosses the Ohio River.
I highly reccommend this movie as a supplement to the novel. Students will be captivated by the emotion evoked through the heart-wrenching scenes and you will be amazed at the appreciation they have for early cinematography.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting only for historical reasons
Review: On one hand, this film is a (mostly) faithful rendition of Stowe's 1852 anti-slavery novel. It also provides a rare example of early synchronized sound prior to the days of talking films. However, this movie (alas, as well as the book) is grossly patronizing today. James B. Lowe as Uncle Tom gives a far more dignified performance for a Black actor than was typical of 1927, but the incredibly gross Blackfaced performance of Topsy (the inspiration for Buckwheat and Farina's outfits in "Our Gang") is truly stomach-turning. A deleted scene shows Topsy saying "I can't be good cause I'se a (n-word)." (This scene is sadly straight from the book). Wisely, the New York Censors edited this out in 1927. However, what remains in the film is not much better.

In some ways, this film is the flipside to "Birth of a Nation," which is now considered the most antiblack film of all time. George Seigmann, who played the villan Silas Lynch in Blackface in BON, plays white Simon Legree in this film. This time, it's Seigmann's white character who tries to rape the Black feamle slaves as opposed to his role as the Black rapist of White women in the former film. Also, this film's ending (which I won't describe in detail here) is the exact opposite of the KKK to the rescue climax of BON. Let's just say it's one part that's not faithful to Stowe's book.

Despite it's good intentions, the over-the-top melodrama, the gross stereotyping, and overall bleakness of this film doomed it at the box office in 1927, and it's still not the type of film that you'll invite your friends over for beer and pizza to watch today. But if you're a film historian or interested in impressions of 19th century America, THEN you might like it.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This is my first time writing a review. I thought I would give my 2 cents. I ordered the VHS tape and the movie left much to be desired. The acting was horrible. I expected more from Sam Jackson and Rashad, who played Eliza. It reminded me of a play where everyone is waiting for their cue to speak. If you've never read the book, you might find it interesting. Unfortunatley, I regret purchasing it.