AllMovie

The true story of the most successful slave uprising in world history comes to the screen as documentary filmmaker Nolan Walker explores the Haitian Revolution, the movement some historians site as the flashpoint for universal human rights. Though largely forgotten at the dawn of the 21st Century, the Haitian Revolution shook the globe just two centuries prior, traumatizing Southern farmers by inspiring slaves and abolitionists to leap into action. Leading the charge of this epochal uprising was Toussaint Louverture, a former slave who became a financially secure landowner after being freed by his master. Despite his comfortable status in life, Louverture risked everything to join in the fight against the Spanish, British, and French empires. The struggle lasted for twelve years, and in that time Louverture would draw favorable comparisons to such respected leaders as George Washington. But his actions also drew controversy, alarming Thomas Jefferson and provoking a full-fledged attack from Napoleon Bonaparte. Though Louverture ultimately met his demise during France's final offensive, France later lost, and the wealthiest colony in the Americas became an independent black republic.