Directing “Emancipation,” a brutal and harrowing film about slavery set deep in the alligator-infested Louisiana swamps, was always going to be a challenge for Antoine Fuqua—and then his star Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. | AFP
“I hope we have more compassion in our hearts, to at least go see the work he did—because he did amazing work in the movie. They all did.”
Less is known about the real man, who Smith depicts fleeing sadistic slavers and evading alligators, snakes and other perils in the Deep South swamps, in pursuit of freedom for him and his family. But while Smith’s performance has drawn praise, critics have pondered whether it is too soon for a comeback, just eight months after the notorious Oscars night.Smith resigned from the Academy for striking Rock on stage over a quip about his wife’s hair loss. He has been banned from attending the Oscars for a decade, though he can still win Academy Awards.
“You hear about things in America especially where there’s discussion of not teaching about slavery in some of the schools… like they want to erase the past,” he said.