Product Description

Studio: Platinum Disc Llc Release Date: 12/28/2004

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7276 in DVD
• Brand: NEILL,SAM
• Released on: 2005-02-08
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 171 minutes

Customer Reviews

A riveting and entertaining romantic fantasy!
If you love hitorical dramas and romantic fantasies, I highly recommend Sally Hemings: An American Scandal. Although I strongly suspect there was a real relationship between Jefferson and Hemings, this story is taken way over the top for entertainment's sake. The entertainment value is certainly there, but it is so strong that one can be easily swept away by it into the realm of belief.

An alleged "historian" once publicly stated that he "wouldn't let history get in the way of a good story." As a fan and writer of fiction, I can understand his statement. However, as a lover of history, I bitterly resent his idiocy.

History, itself, is a great story. But when the need for dramatic presentation leads that story far afield from the facts, it should never, ever be presented as real history.

I absolutely recommend Sally Hemings: An American Scandal as a romantic fantasy with a historical setting. To say that it is more is to do an injustice to both the Jeffersons and the Hemings, who are inadequately represented here.

Aside from the dramatic interracial implications...
of President Jefferson and his concubine/slave Sally Hemings, there remains a rather usual story of a widower who transfers his well-known affection for his young deceased wife to her equally beautiful sister. Sally Hemings and Martha Jefferson were half-sisters and it was said that they looked rather alike. Sally came to Monticello with the marriage of Martha to Thomas Jefferson.

It is easy to point up the hypocrisy of Thomas Jefferson, the author who wrote so eloquently of freedom in the Declaration of Independence while denying to others, but initially Jefferson did seek the end of slavery in the 13 colonies. During the days of the Continental Congress he urged the abolition of slavery as part and parcel of the newly created United States, but was persuaded to drop the cause when the southern states threatened to bolt and withdraw their much needed support in the inevitable clash with the the crown. Following the Revolution Jefferson no longer persued abolitionist ideology

As a person ages, they often become more conservative and careful in their beliefs. This was true of Jefferson. He also held a strong belief in NOT concentrating or centralizing the powers of the government but rather to give the greater authority to each State to govern itself in the newly formed confederation. Although Jefferson's ideas would give way to Madison and the Federalization of the states; many still cling to the idea of decentralized government; the south in particular used this dictum again and again during the civil rights era in order to maintain their segregationist laws.

What can never be known is the true nature of the relationship between Sally Hemings and Jefferson. Sally Hemings was Jefferson's property and with no personal freedom or rights. We know that Jefferson instructed Martha Jefferson Randolph, his daughter by Martha Jefferson, to free Sally & her children upon his death. Many speculate that this was based on his love and affection for this steadfast woman with whom he shared much of his life and by whom he had a number of children.

A STORY THAT ROCKED THE NATION
As a genealogist, I collect period movies. This is one of the first movies I ordered. This story is only one of many stories that occurred during the slavery peiod in this country. Because it was Thomas Jefferson - that made it big history. There were several slave owners who not only bed their slaves, some fell in love with them. The acting is excellent and the movie is very relevant. I highly recommend it.