Amistad and the abuse of history commentary magazine. They saw it basically as a legal anomaly and a crude lesson in. A lasting legacy 393 admires cinque for his independence and manhood. The revolt set off a remarkable series of events and became the basis of a court case that ultimately reached the u. While steven spielbergs amistad presents glimpses of historical truths, the majority of the film distorts and subverts the historical accuracy of the amistad event. For example, the movie leaves readers with the impression that the africans were freed because the court determines them to be people, not property. Is the movie amistad historically accurate answers. The story of amistad, spielbergs latest foray into what he calls socially conscious filmmaking, shares the. From green book to the favourite, several of this years oscar contenders have been accused of historical misrepresentation.
Amistad, like other films, tells us more about the time in which it was produced than the event that it tries to portray. Feb 06, 2019 the amistad slave rebellion, 175 years ago. This steven spielbergdirected exploration into a longago episode in africanamerican history recounts the trial that followed the 1839 rebellion aboard the spanish slave ship amistad and. Spielbergs 1997 movie amistad, the uprising, which created a nation. The true story of the amistad experience offers links that detail the. His new film centers on the legal status of africans who rise up against their captors on the high seas and are. The historical accuracy of the amistad story was all important, and i felt confident that spielberg, despite his right to poetic license, would maintain its factual base.
Interestingly, however, many of the amistad critics complained that the movie had too much history. It is carrying a cargo of africans who have been sold into slavery in cuba, taken on board, and chained in. Salvaging amistad university of missourikansas city. Overall, however, as a movie amistad is simply a bore. Amistad asks to be judged on grounds other than these. What the film glory got right about the american civil war.
Spielberg does a great job in recreating the amistad revolt that spurred a series of trials beginning in the lower courts of connecticut and ultimately. John quincy adams and the amistad case, 1841 a spotlight on a primary source by john quincy adams. With the likes of schindlers list 1994 and amistad 1997 in his filmography, steven spielberg is no stranger to historical fiction. As a citizen from spain, i must say that i have found spelbiergs film amistad not only historically inaccurate, but also laughable. The movie amistad 1997 the spielberg film tells the story of a group of slaves who, at the beginning of the film, overwhelm their spanish captors on the ship amistad and try in vain to return to africa. Spielberg wants us to believe that the spanish monarchy was an infamous piece of nonsense and a cruel tyranny with a dictator girl as. History is the best teacher and a good historian knows it is most prudent to read documents that give a firsthand account.
The leader of the insurrection was singbe pieh of the mendi nation located in sierra leone, once a colony of britian. Initial efforts to speak with cinque and the other amistad survivors fail, as a blundering linguist cannot help the lawyers understand what the africans are saying. John quincy adams and the amistad case, 1841 gilder. More importantly, foner raises questions not only about the accuracy of details and lack of historic context, but. Jackie robinsons story, as told in 42, is incomplete and has some historical gaps, but it allows one father to begin a conversation with his son.
Philip wuntch of the dallas morning news wrote that because of the rush of historical detail the movie lacked a strong emotional current to flow gracefully. Im the cynical historian, your source for analytical history on youtube. The amistads story began in 1839 when slave hunters captured large numbers of native africans near mendeland in presentday sierre leone. It is carrying a cargo of africans who have been sold into slavery in cuba, taken on board, and chained in the cargo hold of the ship. Historically inaccurate and laughable film amistad 1997. Movies about historical subjects often fictionalize. Is django unchained historically accurate and does it matter related. Many of the event in the movie forrest gump are historically accurate, as demanded by the star tom hanks. Amistad s problems go far deeper than such anachronisms as president martin van buren campaigning for reelection on a whistlestop train tour in 1840, candidates did not campaign, or people constantly talking about the coming civil war, which lay twenty years in the future. Supreme court justices in 1839 were slaveowning southerners. Amistad is a wonderful and brilliant film by steven spielberg, but it still has some major historical inaccuracies. Comparing the film amistad to the trial transcripts of the amistad case, consider whether the film offered an accurate depiction of the events that transpired.
By this means and others, steven spielbergs film will long contribute to making it harder and harder for us to tell the truth, either about our history or about ourselves. The film presents a picture of the spanish monarchy in the 19th century that has nothing to do with the historical reality. Gladiator and the historical accuracy of the film gladiator 1712 words 7 pages. Hes earned a reputation for being able to skillfully maintain historical accuracy while finding drama within the truth. But in praising it, i touch on the films great weakness. I make episodes on historical subjects that are meant to be insightful and provocat. Amistad contains many historical errors, although the broad outline of the story is accurate. Jan 08, 2011 collect information on the real case of the amistad slaves and compare it with its depiction in the movie. Instead, the spaniards trick the africans, heading east during the day, then reversing course and heading west at night. Amistad is a 1997 american historical drama film directed by steven spielberg, based on the true story of the events in 1839. Amistad omits some truths that must be told baltimore sun.
It is the story of the 54 th massachusetts regiment, one of the first africanamerican units, from its creation to its first major action. In many ways the film is not an accurate depiction of the real events. Read the document introduction and transcript and apply your knowledge of american history in order to answer these questions. As the critic stanley kauffmann put it in the new republic, the film is built on texture, from the frantic, bloodied fingers of cinque as he struggles to undo his chains to the liver spots on the bald pate of john quincy adams. Apr 24, 20 jackie robinsons story, as told in 42, is incomplete and has some historical gaps, but it allows one father to begin a conversation with his son. Try to explain why the writer of the screenplay and the director decided to make these changes. Of course, it is politically and historically flawed, and it gushes with bourgeois morality. The movie focuses on a littleknown armed insurrection carried out by 53 heroic africans against their slave masters on july 1, 1839. Factchecking best picture nominee selma duvernay has said that her goal was to capture the complexity of every character in the film, including. Historian eric foner, dewitt clinton professor of history at columbia university, examines the issues surrounding the historical film amistad.
Historical reconstructions have academic accuracy but they become waxwork films. Spielbergs film is useful in depicting some of these economic facts of life of the slave trade, but the directors idealization of cinque might lead the. Historical accuracy in films essay 1871 words bartleby. Slavery could, i suppose, be seen largely as a matter of laws and propertyat least to those benefitting from it.
The films protagonist, sengbe pieh, most known by his spanish name, cinque, painstakingly picks a nail out of the ships structure and uses it to pick the lock on his shackles. The popular critics can perhaps be forgiven for taking the movie s claims of accuracy at face value. These captives were sent to havana, cuba to be sold into slavery. While steven spielbergs amistad presents glimpses of historical truths, the majority of the film distorts and subverts the historical accuracy of the amistad event in order to adhere to hegemonic voyeuristic standards of hollywood.
Edward zwicks film glory is one of the bestknown screen depictions of the american civil war. Dvd scene 11, a slaves journey, offers haunting and mentally disturbing images of the middle passage. The movie amistad is both a moving epic and socially stimulating. Body of paper amistad showcased multiple ways that people showed opposition toward slavery during the. The film begins with the event that made that ships history different from. Instead, they are taken to connecticut, where they are brought to trial for murder. While the film is loosely based on the true story of a group of mende people from sierra leone, who in 1839 overpowered their spanish captors. Based on the true story of a significant moment during americas slave trade, this movie shows the saga of an 1839 mutiny aboard the slave ship, amistad. Amistad is the name of a slave ship travelling from cuba to the u. Ever wondered how much a film is based on a true story. Historian eric foner, dewitt clinton professor of history at columbia. If the movie had presented history truthfully, it would have shown that african americans were not enthralled by the amistad affair.
More importantly, foner raises questions not only about the accuracy of details and lack of historic. Amistad is a movie about the international slave trade, and the injustices that occured during that time. When the shot changes to behind him chasers view, the sun is dead in front of him and setting. When the amistad is captured by the american naval vessel, and cinque jumps out of the dinghy to swim for it, the frontal shot of his face with the pursuing boat behind him shows the sun overhead, at midday or morning, towards viewers left. Such questions of historical accuracy aside, the study guides emphasis on contemporary judicial and legal controversies takes students away from what. The amistad slave rebellion, 175 years ago history. What history is accurate in the movie forrest gump. Parenting points this film may be shown in your childs history class when the period of slavery is studied. Rather it is tainted with a bit of historical accuracy resulting it to be more difficult to discern the accuracy of the movie as it is now ambiguous for which part of the movie is unreliable and reliable. Feb 17, 2015 factchecking best picture nominee selma duvernay has said that her goal was to capture the complexity of every character in the film, including king, who is hardly portrayed as a flawless saint.
Spielberg has insisted that it captures a shared piece of american history, and history, even at the movies, is not the same thing as verisimilitude, however artificially manufactured. Ever since spielberg began amistad, the story has been hyped and hailed as a great untold chapter in american history, an event to put beside nat turners uprising. Is django unchained historically accurate and does it. Some historical considerations world socialist web site.
It is too much about the law and not enough about the victims. I cant remember when, if ever, ive seen such a powerfully moving portrayal of the word of god in a major motion picture. Teaching american history and the movie amistad american. Black people who think that steven spielbergs latest movie amistad is about black heroes taking their freedom by any means necessary are doomed to disappointment upon seeing the movie. Not only did the story pulsate with high drama, but it dealt with the longstanding struggle between human and property rights and thereby provided a prelude to the issues that split a nation and brought on the civil war. An excellent historical account is mutiny on the amistad by howard jones. For the foreseeable future, amistad is destined to be shown to our children as the featured movie of black history month. The amistad case took place in 1839 when 53 illegally purchased african slaves were being transported from cuba to the u.
Oct 20, 2010 for my assignment at school i need find one of these sources whether the film or written trials to be more valuable than the other. A deft piece of moviemaking, amistad is gorgeous to look at and persuasive in its evocation of period ambience. Without this film, i may never have known that this important event occurred. Much of the story revolves a courtroom drama as lawyers for the slaves seek their freedom and return home. Were there any points of conflict between the two sources. As history, this account of a cuban slave ship seized in 1839 by its african captives, and their legal travail that ended in the u. Disappointed at not being part of the production, either as a consultant or with my book providing the main story line, i nonetheless was pleased that a person of spielbergs distinction was taking on such an important task, particularly because of his awardwinning movie schindlers list.
Discuss whether, in your opinion, it is legitimate to change historical facts in movies. Without direct testimony from the slaves themselves to help their case, baldwin and joadson search the amistad. The movie has been a subject of critical acclaim and controversy. An 1839 mutiny aboard the spanish ship, amistad, in cuban waters raised basic questions about freedom and slavery in the united states. The historical accuracy of the amistad story was all. Body of paper amistad showcased multiple ways that people showed opposition toward slavery during the earlymid 1800s. Amistad has a strong ideological slant and revises history accordingly. Is the movie invictus historically accurate answers.
Steven spielbergs epic drama about a true 1839 slave ship rebellion and the resulting supreme court case takes a lot of liberties with the factsmainly to create white heroes. And yet loachs films have been attacked for their inaccuracies, chiefly by people who disagree with his politics. Right wingers who say slavery is history and no one needs to be reminded. I am not usually one to put down a film because of the inaccuracies, but since. One of the astonishing facts revealed in steven spielbergs amistad is that seven of the nine u. The film amistad, by steven spielberg is a prime example of a historically accurate movie that has a glossy hollywood coating to appeal to the public. After all, amistad can point to an impressive list of academic consultants, including the historian john hope franklin, head of the presidents raceadvisory board, and henry louis gates, jr. The most historically inaccurate movies ever readers digest.
583 114 922 1338 1286 837 1126 828 878 433 1038 1508 1170 1574 664 1617 904 267 1106 333 839 317 991 847 1301 464 189 1449 926 931 135 1439 869 890 1019 319 624 449 733 849 1171 341 908 1082