What to expect
Sam Lucas, a Black actor, plays Tom in this 1914 adaptation. The Library of Congress identifies his casting in its account of the story’s screen history. Keep that performance distinct from the blackface traditions surrounding earlier stage and film versions, while examining the stereotypes the adaptation retains.
How to ease in
Follow the family separations and systems of sale, keeping Sam Lucas’s performance as Tom distinct from the stereotypes and sentimental framing inherited from the story’s stage history.
Heads-up
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The film condemns slavery while speaking through images shaped by a racist entertainment culture. I think the contradiction has to remain visible rather than being softened into good intentions.
— Momo
Credits & versions
- Cast
- Sam Lucas — Tom
Version map
Where to go next
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