This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Nothing makes any sense in this film: There is no coherent story, episodes stand on their own without being integrated in the greater plot. Characters are just one-dimensional, caricatures really. Tula, the illiterate slave, all of a sudden becomes some kind of Enlightenment philosopher. His "black" girlfriend does not look at all like any kind of Curacaoan. Whites are seen as bigoted racists, even sadists. Historical accuracy is totally disregarded for fantasy and not that subtle political comment on the present day. The actors, probably due to the awful script, cannot make any difference. Glover and Krabbe cannot be too happy about this film.All in all, this may be the worst film I have seen in years, despite my interest in the island. But on Curacao is was a great success: The government assembly even voted to hand out free tickets to school children so they could be (mis-)informed about their own history.

This is a story of human interest.The film may be weak in some aspects,but based on then real life of a person who fought for himself and his people to have freedom from their cruel oppressors, can only merit thought at how the concept of superiority made the slave owners immune to any sense of humanity.If it wasn't for the uprising in Haiti,no slave would have had the courage to challenge slavery.It came to end too late unfortunately for other islands like Curacao ,but it did end,thanks to people like Tula.Its a story to be watched or read.Are we to ignore history of slavery forever,and criticise those who try to tell these stories for the costumes that the slaves wore as too clean,and one commentator here seems to think,or listen to voices of those who sacrificed themselves for their god given rights ,and the good of others.

Being a slave was a clean and easy job in those days. At least that was the only conclusion I can draw after having sat through this screen disaster. Everyone was wearing clean clothes all the time (c'mon guys, dress up, you're on camera !); slaves could wander freely through the woods without being hindered and without getting dirty (or caught for that matter), and they had no trouble adjusting to the lifestyle of their masters (well okay, that was possible). The story had no real beginning or end and when the credits ran, you were just wondering what had been the purpose of it all. Danny Glover must have felt like a stranger amongst this Dutch gang; he certainly looks and sounds that way. What a waste of money and energy !! The only somewhat decent job was done by Jeroen Willems (sad he is not among us anymore); to determine the worst performance is more difficult: so many actors are vying for that slot ! Having to chose I would take Jeroen Krabbe. His Gouverneur was beyond any believability. It was Jeroen Leinders' (were they all chosen for their first name?) first movie. Unless he decides to start following a course, it should be his last.