Jones Plantation
A movie that claims you’re out of your cotton-picking mind…
“You say we’re free now. But you’re still up there. And we’re still down here.”
I finally sat down to watch the new movie Jones Plantation with the family. I was already expecting a few more epiphanies for my euroes from this movie than just the basic; “slavery bad, American dream good” message one might expect from a story about African and Irish slaves during the mid-1800s, picking cotton in the United States. I have to say, I was not disappointed.
My high expectations were triggered by the knowledge that voluntaryist/anarcho capitalist Larken Rose had written the story line for the movie. The story had started off as a 12-minute animated short film called “The Jones Plantation” back in 2012, to my knowledge inspired by the memoirs of Frederick Douglass, a former plantation slave who managed to free himself, and even more interestingly, free his enslaved mind from the invisible chains that were keeping him from living up to his true potential as a human being. In 2023 the Jones Plantation story had evolved into a full-length movie, directed by Andrew Treglia and co produced with Douglas Mize and Larken Rose himself.
Is it really about slavery?
At first glance, the movie is definately about slavery. It’s even been filmed on the locations of old slave plantations in Mississippi and Louisiana. But it doesn’t take long before even more sinister vibes start taking over the plot. This darkness is personified in Mr. Smith (Maurice Johnson), a visiting master-mind of managing slave mentality, who to everyone’s astonishment is a man of color. Mr. Smith explains to slave owner Mr. Jones (Lee Gaulman) that he is a slave-smith of sorts, there to help him manage his slaves properly.
Mr. Smith is almost priestly in his appearance. He wears a liturgical, red coat, he likes to procure his message to the slaves in the plantation’s church building, and he uses charismatic language like “Come on in, brother. Rest your feet. Today is a happy day…”
“I said words. I changed their perception of their situation. Other than that, nothing else happened.”
– Mr. Smith
Symbolism and striking language
What I found profoundly refreshing about this movie was its keen eye to detail. Every action is founded on solid ideas and packed with symbolism. Every quote is full of layers and triggers, and the observant viewer will immediately begin working through the layers in his mind.
To give a few examples of symbolism; Mr. Smith wears a silver snake ear piece and brings with him to the plantation a pet snake named Temujin, a clear reference to Genghis Khan who ones ruled much of the world with great skill and brutality. To win the slaves over, Mr. Smith offers them forbidden fruit (apples) and when one of the female slaves bites the apple, one cannot help but think of the garden of Eden story. Mr. Smith also enjoyes poppin’ cherries (a very disturbing, sexual reference) and is a master of deception.
Is it destined to become a classic?
Regardless of how many people who actually take the time to watch this movie, I dare say it has the potential of becoming one of the most memorable movie classics of the 2020s. It doesn’t have the Hollywood budget or a great amount of special effects, but it has heart, wit and the ability to cut through the viewer’s perception of reality like a sword.
Maurice Johnson does an excellent job in portraying the mysterious and chilling character Mr. Smith, and several of the side characters do a very convincing job, including Phillip C. Washington as Noah and young Sarah (Deayanie Fagon), who participated in one of the most memorable scenes of the film…
Lee Gaulman never acted before, and I salute him for daring to pick up a character of such complexity and unlikableness as Mr. Jones for his first acting job. He absolutely manages to entertain throughout the movie, and even director Andrew Treglia shows up on the screen a few times as Jimmy-Jack, together with Larken Rose as one of the Irish slaves. I cannot recommend this movie enough, and if you’re not going to watch it, you are missing out on something that’s not just entertaining, but also on a very important topic for this age and time in history: Was slavery ever abolished in the Western World?
I’ll end this review with a few movie quotes to tickle ones mind:
“To wield real power, you must be willing to do what most consider unthinkable. – Well, Mr. Smith, what most people consider unthinkable is that men like you even exist.”
“To cover a man’s face takes away his voice, his identity…Once he got that muzzle on him…he took it.”
“It’s high time we found them an outlet for that anger — outside of us.”
Review by Iselin Aspen
Watch the movie or buy it for a friend. (Affiliate link).
