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Goodbye Uncle Tom is possibly the most politically incorrect “shockumentary” you’re ever likely to see. A disgusting, perverted, apparently hysterical, look at the slave trade in the mid 1800s by Italian directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi.
Filmed almost entirely in Haiti with virtually the whole population of Port-au-Prince as extras, Goodbye Uncle Tom is the story of two documentary filmmakers who go back in time to the pre-Civil War American South to film the trade in enslaved Africans.
Accused of racism in 1966 with the release of their Africa Addio – Adios Africa or Africa Blood and Guts in English – the Italian directors came up with this ‘Art House’ shocker by way of apology, supposedly. But this ain’t Alex Haley’s Roots: The Sage of an American Family (1977)–it is a graphic, vicious and violent depiction of slavery as carried out less than 150 years ago and more recently.
We apologise in advance if some of you are offended by the scenes of brutality, nudity and violence in this film intended for adults only. The entire movie of Goodbye Uncle Tom is available on YouTube in ten-minute segments, but we wanted to show it here in its entirety to illustrate just how mentally, morally, and spiritually corrupt and inhuman man can be to his fellow man. With so much talk in cyberspace currently on how God must have cursed Haiti to reap such destruction on the country; the significance or not of history, voodoo rituals, and the question of reparations, we thought you might like to see a glimpse of just what life was like for many millions of enslaved Africans.
As with the Jewish Holocaust, we believe that the true horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and its consequences for the under-development of Africa and people of African descent should be taught in schools everywhere, so that we may never reproduce similar conditions for any group of people at any time in the future. What say you?
“The horror! The horror!”
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Where to start ?? !!
I couldn’t watch it! I’ve only met one person who’s ever heard of this film and could sit through its grotesqueness. He is a Guerilla filmmaker used to shooting footage of death and destruction in war-torn zones. I just don’t have the stomach for it. But it is readily available on YouTube and Amazon for those who do. And I think it’s important that it is seen and discussed. Or should I say in disgust?
I’d nominate ‘Africa Addio’ as most perverted. You can view the entirety of its offensiveness via google. Brace yourself though. D.W Griffiths ‘Birth Of A Nation’ is another strong contender for most despicable content ever aired.
Much as I don’t like this film, as ugly as it is it gives you a sense of the true horrors that took place during this ugly period of history. Not many film makers have been brave enough to be so graphic in their depiction of the transatlantic slave trade. Funny how its still banned when there are much more graphically violent and disgusting films showing on TV (hostel, saw etc). I think the gritty images that are shown in this film will would have too much of an effect on the publics consciousness, and would raise this issue which we are told to forget about. So we are left with Amistad instead…..
I totally agree with Andre. There is a strange sense of what is “acceptable” in this world. More too often terrible scenes are portrayed in an almost erotic or violence-hungry fashion in mainstream films. But it takes guts to show the bare truth and get down to the bone intelligently. I haven’t seen the film myself, but I will look out for it. And as for why: truth must be “dosed” – we don’t want them becoming too intelligent
I will try and watch this later, but in reading the article and the comments of those above me, this sounds like it might be a case of: Violence that is meant to titillate or entertain, good. Violence that is “real” and meant to teach and offer warning, bad. I would personally just not have violence in general, but if the intent of the film is not to shock, but instead to try and offer a realistic view of the past, I'll (try and) deal.
I think you’re right there, Sarah, but the film seemed as exploitative as the slave trade it depicted.
In this case, I have no idea because I have never seen it . If films “exploit” the suffering of others to make the news or increase sales then it is wrong but if they are done with the intention of creating awareness then I find that totally acceptable – a lot more acceptable than most of the trash we are forced to digest, day after day… x
So you haven’t watched the film, Sarah? That’s easily solved. Click above.
hmmm makes one want to see it..
Oh my God – I managed to stomach the first 60 mins – yes, it's vulgar, patronising, deeply offensive…
I think the film is a hard pill to swallow. Hopefully after more folks swallow it, we can start to get better. Our young people (some of em') are so very disconnected to why the struggle up out of all of that was important in the first place. Ashe' for our anscestors that endured ANY degree of that dipiction.
I wondered where that degree of extras were found to play the many roles called for in the film. I even spotted what looks like child chris rock as a film extra.
The film was shot in Haiti with the extras gathered from there.