‘Emperor’ Review: A Runaway Slave Joins the Raid on Harpers Ferry in Forgotten Tale of Black Heroism
‘Black Panther’ meets ‘The Birth of a Nation’ in this rousing account of Shields Green, who escaped the shackles of slavery to fight alongside abolitionist John Brown.
As statues to Confederate heroes are torn down around the country, the question of whom to honor in their place poses an intriguing challenge — one that writer-director Mark Amin seems to have anticipated with his abolitionist adventure movie “Emperor.” Essentially a filmic monument to a scarcely documented American hero, “Emperor” tells the virtually unknown story of Shields Green, a descendant of African royalty who was born into slavery and later escaped, making it to freedom before risking his life in the attack on Harpers Ferry.
When history books speak of that famous raid, they tend to focus on John Brown, the white militant who planned the action hoping it would incite a slave uprising in the South — which gives an accurate but incomplete picture. “Emperor” re-centers the telling, broadening this early “white savior” story to include the Black men who joined the cause — or, in the case of Frederick Douglass, chose to abstain from what sure felt like a suicide mission.
Figures like Green tend to have been scrubbed from American history for reasons both practical (obstacles to literacy, lack of documentation) and political (deliberate attempts to suppress stories that might inspire uprisings). Or, as the opening narration of “Emperor” puts it, “The history of the Civil War was written by white men to serve their own agenda. It’s time for a Black man to tell his own story.” But unlike “12 Years a Slave,” adapted from the personal account of a free Black man kidnapped and sold into servitude (albeit 20 years before the Civil War), Amin’s conception of Green’s exploits relies largely on his (and co-writer Pat Charles’) imagination.
Many of the characters are composites or invented out of whole cloth, and the script fabricates an upbeat last act after Harpers Ferry (including a mind-boggling stunt in which Green can be seen leaping from an exploding bell tower, over a 100-foot cliff into the saving water below) that belies the fact he was captured and hanged for treason. No matter.
In the vein of Nate Parker’s ill-fated Nat Turner biopic “The Birth of a Nation” (a powerful film whose potential cultural moment was hijacked by unresolved rape claims against its director-star), “Emperor” has found a Black hero to champion during this dark chapter of American history. Broad and occasionally too simplistic at times, both films look to the Mel Gibson model in depicting a figure forged by suffering who rises up to lead a rebellion, although Amin doesn’t lean quite so heavily on victimization and revenge to hook his audience. Then again, that restraint may owe more to the film’s PG-13 rating than to any particular ideological convictions.
A striking discovery, Dayo Okeniyi will be unfamiliar to most in the lead role. He played a small part as District 11 tribute Thresh in “The Hunger Games,” and appears opposite Jennifer Lopez in “Shades of Blue,” but “Emperor” is effectively his breakout, which makes him feel as much a revelation to audiences as Green’s story will be. Okeniyi comes across proud and upstanding, his spirit resilient despite years of slavery, which puts him in the company of such silver-screen heroes as Spartacus and Ben-Hur. Cross those classic heroes with the Wakandan king of “Black Panther,” and you’ve got “Emperor,” a figure mightier than the movie Amin has created for him.
Given his roots, Green holds a position of some respect on his South Carolina plantation, for which he is targeted and made an example — strung up and branded with a hot poker — when a new owner (M.C. Gainey) takes over the property. Green accepts the abuse that’s heaped upon him, but snaps when he discovers that his son Tommy (Trayce Malachi) has been lashed for reading; he confronts the foreman (Brad Carter) responsible, killing several white men in his rage. With blood on his hands, Green makes a break for it, sparking an escape that will remind some of last year’s “Harriet.”
Where Harriet Tubman paved the way, Green must improvise his own path. With an oddly glamorous Texas bounty hunter (Ben Robson) on his tail and the price on his head steadily climbing, Green heads north, meeting up with many colorful characters — too many, one might argue — on his trek, including a bank robber (Keean Johnson) a bit too eager to see his face on a wanted poster, a helpful house slave (Kat Graham) and Underground Railroad ally Levi Coffin (Bruce Dern), who shelters him for a time. These interactions feel rushed, but then, Green has somewhere to be, and Amin doesn’t show much aptitude for suspense.
The director teases the Harpers Ferry raid at the outset and circles back to it late in the film. Amin imagines how Green met John Brown (James Cromwell), but doesn’t have to extrapolate much about his interaction with Frederick Douglass (Harry Lennix), as that meeting has been documented. It makes for one of the film’s most stirring scenes, as Green explains his motives for joining Brown in such a dangerous mission. “This man will never be a slave,” he says. “And yet he’s willing to risk his life and the life of his sons so we can be free.”
Green’s words serve as a declaration of solidarity between African Americans and their allies — those who join the crusade for equality even when it may not benefit them directly — that has only gained in relevance amid the summer’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations. “Emperor” was made before the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and should have been released in theaters on March 27, were it not for the coronavirus outbreak. The storytelling may be imperfect, even clunky at times, but it’s curious that Universal seems to be dumping the film to DVD, considering what “Emperor” represents at this moment. As problematic figures fall, here’s one who is deserving of a pedestal.
It’s covid summer which is a fun killer, not to mention a killer period, but we wanted to share the movie on the big screen so the premiere was at a drive in!
Mark Amin and I gave our opening remarks on the big screen before the movie started.
Sobini Films, the production company behind soon-to-released Shields Green biopic Emperor, said it will donate $1 for every digital transaction during the first month of film’s release to the NAACP. Set for a digital release on August 18, via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, the film is based on the inspiring journey of Green, an American freedom fighter who escaped from slavery and joined the raid on Harper’s Ferry, the key battle of the abolitionist movement which helped spark the beginning of the Civil War and alter the course of American history. “All too often vital narratives, such as EMPEROR, are left out of Hollywood and our history books,” said Robin Harrison, director, NAACP Hollywood Bureau. “The NAACP is inspired by this portrayal of a true American hero and grateful for the opportunity to put the proceeds from the movie to use in our modern-day fight against systemic racism and racial injustice.” Mark Amin directed the pic, which stars Dayo Okeniyi as Green, James Cromwell, Kat Graham, Naturi Naughton, Mykelti Williamson, Ben Robson, and Bruce Dern.
Producer/director Reginald Hudlin, whose credits include the 2016 Oscars, will become the first-ever Black executive producer of the Primetime Emmys, Variety has learned exclusively.
Done+Dusted will return to produce the telecast, while Hudlin will serve as an executive producer along side host Jimmy Kimmel and Done+Dusted’s Guy Carrington, David Jammy and Ian Stewart.
ABC and the Television Academy is set to announce the Emmys producing team later today. Last year, Done+Dusted produced the kudocast alongside Don Mischer Prods.
“I’m excited to collaborate with this outstanding team as we produce a show that celebrates the best of what we do and reflects this moment in history,” said Hudlin, who earned an Emmy nomination for producing the Oscars, and whose awards show credits also include executive producing the NAACP Image Awards for nearly a decade.
The Emmys are set to air on Sunday, Sept. 20 with Kimmel presiding. But beyond that, details of this Emmy Awards are still being worked out, including how much will be produced remotely and whether there will be an in-studio element. Normally, the Emmys are held with a full audience at the Microsoft Theatre at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would seem to place a limit on that idea.
“The world has been turned upside-down by a pandemic, but television has remained our steadfast friend through it all, and we want to come together to honor this friend of ours that informs, entertains and oftentimes uplifts us when we need it most,” said Ian Stewart of Done+Dusted. “How we accomplish that on Emmy night is a question we’re all grappling with, but any stumbling block can be a stepping stone, depending on how you use it.”
This is the third year in a row that Done+Dusted has been a producer on the Primetime Emmy telecast, having also handled the show’s 2018 airing on NBC.
“Each year Done + Dusted has produced the Emmys, they’ve brought new ideas and a great collaborative spirit, and with the addition of Reggie Hudlin, it promises to be a truly exceptional night,” said Frank Scherma, Television Academy chairman and CEO. “In this year of tremendous challenge, we look forward to the joint team innovating even more, delivering a reimagined Emmys to honor the exceptional television that has brought us together while we’ve had to remain apart.”
Last year, to mix things up, the Emmys went without a host for the first time since 2003. Done+Dusted has its work cut out for it: In recent years, the Emmys has faced major ratings declines: 2019’s telecast dropped 33% to record lows (a 1.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demo and 6.9 million viewers), while the 2018 edition was the previously lowest rated, with a 2.4 rating and 10.2 million viewers.
This year’s show, however, has the draw of the return of Kimmel, who previously hosted in 2012 and 2016. And then there’s the unique aspect of creating a major awards show in the middle of a pandemic.
The nature of this year’s Emmys should give Hudlin, Done+Dusted and Kimmel a bit of permission to rethink the show and perhaps make some major changes in an effort to attract more viewers, who may already be more willing to show up and see what the Emmys might look like in this environment. Kimmel is also an executive producer on the telecast.
Done+Dusted has had plenty of experience in recent months producing specials in these social distancing times. That includes the four-hour YouTube Originals livestream “Dear Class of 2020,” which featured Barack and Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, BTS, Alicia Keys and others. The company also worked with LeBron James’ Springhill Ent. to produce “Graduate Together,” another virtual graduation special that aired across multiple networks.
At ABC, Done+Dusted was behind the recent “Disney Family Singalong” and its sequel. In pre-COVID times, Done+Dusted also worked with the Alphabet network in last November’s “The Little Mermaid Live,” which earned critical raves and attracted 9 million viewers.
Other credits for Done+Dusted, which is based in both London and Los Angeles, include the London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, the British Fashion Awards, “Stand Up to Cancer,” Nickelodeon’s “Kids Choice Sports Awards,” the BAFTA Television Awards, HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords” special and the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.”
Hudlin earned an Oscar best picture nomination in 2013 for “Django Unchained”; his career has included film and television, and even a stint as a network executive — having served as the first entertainment president for BET. His film credits also include “House Party,” “Boomerang,” “Great White Hype” and “Bebe’s Kids,” while he was an executive producer of “The Boondocks” and also wrote and produced the animated series “Black Panther,” based on the comic book series he wrote.
Hudlin’s latest film is “The Black Godfather,” currently streaming on Netflix, while he also directed the legal thriller “Marshall” and produced the Civil War-era historical drama “Emperor,” which premieres next month. Hudlin’s upcoming Disney Plus film “Safety” premieres this fall.
Kimmel will serve as an EP through his shingle Kimmelot, a collaboration with Wheelhouse Entertainment’s Brent Montgomery.
Nominations for the 72nd Emmy Awards will be announced by the Television Academy on Tuesday, July 28.
