4. Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an accessible yet scathing satire on the entrenched racism of the pre-Civil War American South. Unlike most of the other entries on this list the book has been adapted into film multiple times; between 1917 and 1993 a number of adaptations were created, yet the majority of these were parodies, silent films, or straight to television movies. This does not take away from the greatness of these adaptations, but a big budget blockbuster is lacking. We have experienced a resurgence in films exploring the racial history of the 19th Century; look no further than the superb Twelve Years a Slave and Django Unchained to see how brutal slavery as an institution could be, and how well it has been translated into movies for mass audiences. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tackled this horror considerably differently; it was scathing in its satire, but did not require the brutal imagery of these films, instead it exposed the hypocrisy of slavery, and examined its negative impacts on the oppressor as well as the victim. It is positive that we are coming to terms with one of the greatest tragedies of recent history by viewing the realities of slavery, and looking at how crucial this barbaric institution were to the creation of the modern world improves us. Twains novel has the same impact, and by contrasting slaves to oppressors, showing how interdependent the relationship was, our understanding of Slavery is improved. This would make a welcome addition to the current slave era films, and would be accepted by wider audiences as a market clearly already exists.