Is Emancipation Based On True Story? Will Smith’s 2022 has been full of exciting things, and his year will end with the release of his new movie, Emancipation.
Smith plays Peter, a slave who runs away from a Louisiana plantation and joins the Union army. This is a historical drama.
As a movie about history, Emancipation has made many people wonder if it is based on a true story or if it is just made up.
Is Emancipation Based On True Story?
Yes, Emancipation is based on a scary and moving real-life story.
The real-life story of a slave named Gordon, who was called “Whipped Peter” after a photo of his back showed a horrifying map of crisscrossed scars from a brutal whipping that left him bedridden for two months, was the inspiration for the movie.
The photo went around the United States and the world like a viral video does today. It quickly became one of the most famous pictures of the time and a key piece of evidence for the movement to end slavery.
In March 1863, the real Gordon ran away from the plantation of John and Bridget Lyons in Louisiana. He spent 10 days on the run, using onions to hide his scent from the dogs that were sent to find him.
After a dangerous 40-mile journey, Gordon reached the Union army at Baton Rouge, where he joined the Louisiana Native Guard, a Black regiment made up of former slaves.
Emancipation Real Events And The Film
As is always the case when a true story is turned into a movie, there are some small differences between the two.
Most of these changes have been to the names of certain characters, so they aren’t too big.
In the movie, Will Smith’s character is only known as Peter, even though the real slave also went by the name Gordon. This is because the photo gives him the name “Whipped Peter.”
In addition, the overseer who beats Peter has a different name in the movie.
In real life, Gordon said that the overseer who beat him was named Artayou Carrier, but in the movie, the overseer is played by Jim Fassel, who is played by Ben Foster.
Emancipation will be available on Apple TV+
Emancipation will be available on Apple TV+ on Friday, December 9, 2022, after it has been shown in a limited number of theaters.
The movie is about Peter, a slave who runs away and joins the Union army during the American Civil War.
Peter must use his wits, his faith, and his deep love for his family to get through the harsh Louisiana swamps and away from the hunters who are looking for him.
When he finally gets to safety, images of his scourged back, which was damaged by the whippings he got from his slave owners, come to mind. This helps to inspire the movement to end slavery.