Trigger warning: this film, and our review of it, discusses aspects of child sexual abuse and can bring about trauma for some film watchers and review readers.
Sound of Freedom, a movie that was released in 2023, is the story of a man, Tim Ballard (his and other characters’ real life information can be found here), who rescues children from human traffickers. This film is touted as being based on a true story.
Among The Breeze staff, some of the feelings we endured while watching the film were “sick,” “uncomfortable,” “disgusted,” and “disturbed.” But we also felt that the movie was a wake-up call to the realities of the vulnerabilities of children around the world.
This movie presents many themes, one of which is the “white savior” theme.
The “white savior” theme is a theme that focuses more on the person(s) doing the saving, vs. the people being saved. Sound of Freedom focuses on Tim Ballard (among others) and his journey through Central and South America busting the pedophiles and rescuing the kidnapped kids instead of focusing on the victimization of the rescued.
This film also carries a message of implied sexual abuse.
Our class discussed the “why now?” aspect of this movie and felt that it was a good vehicle for making parents and others aware that children face vulnerabilities all over the world. The audience may feel like it’s “not my kid,” but this film adds actual video footage showing children of many ages being kidnapped.
This chart represents the percentage of the purpose humans are trafficked.
Finally, the actor who plays Tim Ballard, Jim Caviezel, gives a message of paying it forward in the theater version of the movie. He tells the audience that the movie’s release was delayed five years until Angel Studios (Find information about them here) stepped in to distribute and market the film. At the end of the message, there is a call to action to spread this movie far and wide through group sales, donating tickets so “everyone” can see it. The real heroes, Caviezel tells us, are not the rescuers, but the the young victims portrayed in the movie, and who exist all over the world. You can find out more about the people behind making the film here.
To find out more about the crime and punishment of human trafficking, click here. Other trafficking stories can be found here here and here .
Overall, the Breeze staff appreciated the movie’s message and the fact that it brings light to a dark topic. You can currently watch it for free on Amazon Prime.
