A House Divided - Review 1
By Ayesha Haqqiqa
Synopsis: This is the story of the Dickson family of Georgia. When David Dickson died, he left his vast plantation to his daughter, even though she was a woman of color. The story is told in flashbacks, as the daughter and her mother tell the story to an interested attorney.
Sam's Performance:
Sam does a
good job acting as a Southerner both before, during, and after the Civil
War. David Dickson�s rape of his slave
is rather chilling, but very much the way it often was in the antebellum
South. His love of his daughter is
quite touching; he and his slave act very much as equal partners as the film
progresses, although this aspect of his life he keeps out of the limelight of
his neighbors.
Must-see scene: The scene in the slave�s cabin, where an ailing David Dickson sits in a rocking chair and gives her a letter she is to open after his death. You can tell that these two have an affection and regard for one another, although the society of the time would not allow them to express it openly.This affection is shown quite subtly, another indication of how good the acting is.
