Will Smith said he hopes the image of Whipped Peter is not “brutal in vain” as he stars in Emancipation which tells the story of the man’s escape from his slave owner.The 54-year-old Hollywood actor, who plays Peter in the film, also said stories of slavery are difficult “emotionally and psychologically” to confront as African Americans."My hope is that when people see it, the thing that it does inside the human heart will potentially break things but also open the heart for compassion and empathy," Smith said.