Emancipation
A visceral survival odyssey through the desaturated hellscape of the Louisiana swamps. Amidst the brutality of chains and blood, one man's unwavering faith becomes a weapon of defiance, carving a path toward freedom and family.
Emancipation
Emancipation
02 December 2022 United States of America 132 min ⭐ 7.8 (1,223)
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Will Smith, Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Ronnie Gene Blevins
Drama War History
The Indomitable Human Spirit Faith as Resistance Family as Motivation Dehumanization vs. Identity

Emancipation - Characters & Cast

Character Analysis

Peter

Will Smith

Archetype: The Survivor / The Warrior
Key Trait: Unwavering Faith

Motivation

To return to his wife and children and fulfill his promise that he would come back for them.

Character Arc

Peter transforms from a captive enduring abuse to a fugitive fighting for his life, and finally to a soldier fighting for his people. His internal strength remains constant, but his agency expands from passive resistance to active combat.

Jim Fassel

Ben Foster

Archetype: The Relentless Hunter / The Personification of Evil
Key Trait: Cold Ruthlessness

Motivation

A twisted sense of duty and racial superiority; he believes he is 'god' to the enslaved people.

Character Arc

Fassel remains static in his obsession. He views himself as a divinely appointed predator whose purpose is to crush rebellion. He tracks Peter with a single-minded focus until his own violent demise.

Dodienne

Charmaine Bingwa

Archetype: The Matriarch / The Anchor
Key Trait: Sacrificial Love

Motivation

To protect her children and survive until Peter returns.

Character Arc

While Peter runs, Dodienne endures on the plantation. She makes a horrific sacrifice to keep her family together, proving her own immense strength and resilience parallel to Peter's.

Cast

Will Smith as Peter
Ben Foster as Jim Fassel
Charmaine Bingwa as Dodienne
Gilbert Owuor as Gordon
Ronnie Gene Blevins as Harrington
Aaron Moten as Knowls
Jabbar Lewis as Tomas
Michael Luwoye as John
Steven Ogg as Howard
Grant Harvey as Leeds
Mustafa Shakir as Lt. Andrew Cailloux
Paul Ben-Victor as Major G. Halstead
David Denman as General William Dwight
Jesse C. Boyd as Mike Hurley
Imani Pullum as Betsy