Paul Schrader Calls ‘Emancipation’ an “Impressive Achievement”

In early December, “Emancipation” drowned with critics and barely registered with audiences. It finished with a 53 on Metacritic and 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. DOA.

However, don’t be discouraged fellow Will Smith fans, even after the terrible reviews dropped, Variety’s Clayton Davis still believed it was an “Oscar contender.” Davis seemed to have not gotten the memo that “Emancipation” sunk quicker than the Titanic. He called the film “Fuqua’s Schindler’s List.” He also went on to compare the film to “The Tree of Life, on top of comparing Smith to Trump.

It seems as though Davis wasn’t the only major fan of “Emancipation.” Legendary filmmaker/Facebook poster Paul Schrader has just showered the Will Smith-starring slave drama with lots of praise. He went on social media to rave about it:

“I'm not a Civil War film buff but it is hard to imagine a battle sequence like the union attack toward the end being more meticulous and brutally realistic. Any competitors? […] Extremely well-made. Monochromatic in theme and look, and relentlessly brutal. An impressive achievement.”

I am not entirely sure about the climactic battle in “Emancipation” ever becoming part of film history. There are too many far worthier examples.

Spielberg’s D-Day sequence in “Saving Private Ryan” was one for the history books. Orson Welles’ battle sequence in “Chimes at Midnight” is another masterful one. Let us not forget what Kurosawa did in “Seven Samurai” and “Ran.” Almost anything from Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down” trumps what we see in “Emancipation.” Sam Fuller directed some of the greatest battle scenes in numerous of his movies. Then there’s “Braveheart,” “Apocalypse Now” and even this past year’s gruelling remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” I could go on and on …