Of a King and his newly-found Heroism

 The Journey of August King
 
Have you ever found yourself in a setup that you weren't set up to be in? And after two innocent steps in you found yourself getting in deeper? And there you found yourself deep in a matter of conscience....

The year is 1815 and we are deep in North Carolina next to the Appalachians. This is only a few years after the west of the ranges was mapped by Lewis and Clark so this region is still fresh of human settlement.

King, first name August, is a widower played by Jason Patric. He lives a pretty unremarkable life on the backside of the mountains. His three-day journey to the nearest marketplace sets him on an encounter that he will remember the rest of his life. 

On his way back to his farm he meets an escaped slave girl who is being sought for by her ruthless owner, Olaf Singletary (Larry Drake).

Annalees (Thandie Newton) is running away to save her soul, she says. Olaf is also after her brother who is beheaded as soon as he's caught.

Despite his initial hesitation, King resolves to help Annalees escape to the North. They have to go through several close shaves and it's a pity that this picturesque country is the backdrop for a story that portrays how distasteful and heart-wrenching greed can be. Especially for the people of colour discriminated against for more than 400 years of American history.

This gem of a story was released back in 1995 by Miramax.