The amistad movie vs history

Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. But in praising it, i touch on the films great weakness. Learn amistad history with free interactive flashcards. 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. Navy vessel, abolitionists filed a court case to free the africans. 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. While steven spielbergs amistad presents glimpses of historical truths, the majority of the film distorts and subverts the historical accuracy of the amistad event. The fabulous story of the mummified maori head new zealand history documentary timeline duration. Overall, however, as a movie amistad is simply a bore. The film is a fictional portrayal of events surrounding the successful revolt in 1839 by a group of africans headed for slavery in the americas. On friday, december 12th, dreamworks latest movie, amistad, opened in major markets nationwide. 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.

Africanamerican artist hale woodruff painted murals portraying events related to the revolt on the amistad in 1938, for talladega college in alabama. This movie is a fictionalized account of the 1839 revolt by illegally enslaved africans aboard the spanish ship, le amistad. Slavery was the first human rights issue to arouse wide international concern yet it still continues today. A movie, amistad 1997, was based on the events of the revolt and court cases, and howard jones 1987 book mutiny on the amistad. Amistad mutiny, july 2, 1839, slave rebellion that took place on the slave ship amistad near the coast of cuba and had important political and legal repercussions in the american abolition movement. Parents need to know that amistad is a 1997 oscarnominated steven spielberg movie about west africans on a slave ship who revolt against their captors but still must fight for their freedom in the courtrooms of america. But from the worlds most powerful, successful and famous director, we expect more. The amistad was a spanish schooner taken over by a group of captured africans seeking to escape impending slavery in cuba. And for that, amistad should be recommended to everyone. The mutineers were captured and tried in the united states, and a surprising victory for the. Much of the story revolves a courtroom drama as lawyers for the slaves seek their freedom and return home. There is no denying that the movie strays from the true events that occurred in 1839 and specifically changes character traits.

Teaching american history and the movie amistad american. A popular movie such as amistad is not held out as a documentary but is instead a mix of entertainment and history. In this essay he explores the problems faced by the producers of amistad and the shortcomings of both the film and its accompanying study guide in their attempt to portray history. 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. Travel the amistad freedomseeking story, connecticut u. Supreme court highlighted to the public the evils of slavery and is seen as a major step toward. It lobbed the country into a debate about slavery, freedom, and the meaning of citizenship. 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. It is the story of a group of africans who were captured in sierra leone and brought in chains to the americas and who revolted, captured their ship, the amistad, and eventually were seized off the coast of new england. Of course, it is politically and historically flawed, and it gushes with bourgeois morality. Two spanish plantation owners, don jose ruiz and don.

Slavery has always been the most shocking phenomena of our world. The opening scene, showing the slave revolt on board the amistad, is very violent, with blood and death from swords, axes, and muskets. Some historical considerations by helen halyard 18 february 1998 amistad, the film directed by steven spielberg, places before a large audience a glimpse of the brutality of the african. The story of amistad, spielbergs latest foray into what he calls socially conscious filmmaking, shares the.

Here are a handful of additional examples, comparingcontrasting scenes from 12 years a slave the movie vs. The amistad case is one of the most important to ever come before us courts. 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. The movie amistad is both a moving epic and socially stimulating. In february of 1839, portuguese slave hunters abducted a large group of africans from sierra leone and shipped them to havana, cuba, a center for the slave trade. Historian eric foner, dewitt clinton professor of history at columbia university, examines the issues surrounding the historical film amistad. In recent years, the amistad affair has taken on greater and greater significance for those seeking an understanding of african american history and culture. 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. The amistad case took place in 1839 when 53 illegally purchased african slaves were being transported from cuba to the u. Director stephen spielberg deserves credit for bringing to public attention what historians used to refer to dismissively as the amistad incident.

The zigzagging vessel was the amistad, a spanish slaver whose mutinying cargo of several dozen african captives had killed at least two of their captors were they menor were they property. The national park service invites you to travel the amistad. More importantly, foner raises questions not only about the accuracy of details and lack of historic. The amistad s story began in 1839 when slave hunters captured large numbers of native africans near mendeland in presentday sierre leone. It influenced the abolitionist movement and proved that many influential people in the united states were in favor of abolishing slavery on the whole. Amistad, the new film by steven spielberg, is a masterpiece of film making providing a thoroughly rewarding entertainment and learning experience.

It is carrying a cargo of africans who have been sold into slavery in cuba, taken on board, and chained in. It is too much about the law and not enough about the victims. From the discovery section of this website you can learn the history of the real amistad revolt of 18391842 on which steven spielbergs 1997 feature film amistad was based, a shipboard uprising off the coast of cuba that carried itself, inadvertently but fatefully, to the united stateswhere the amistad captives set off an intense legal. Right wingers who say slavery is history and no one needs to be reminded about it have attacked the movie. During the voyage, there was an uprising in which the slaves killed the captain and took possession of the ship. Amistad mutiny north americanafrican history britannica. Get an answer for a detailed summary of the film amistad. Choose from 42 different sets of amistad history flashcards on quizlet.

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. It almost goes without saying that you have to allow room for some creative leeway and exaggerationchanges for dramatic effect something i addressed last year with an examination of the truth vs. They were taken to the african slave port of lomboko where a total of 500 people were purchased by a slave trader. This abduction violated all of the treaties then in existence. These captives were sent to havana, cuba to be sold into slavery. I would like to break down what transpired in the movie and how the characters were portrayed and find homework help for other history. Amistad is worth seeing just for people to know about this important story, this moment in history. This is the most straightforward, understated, and powerful bigscreen representation of the gospel in recent movie history. Amistad is the name of a slave ship travelling from cuba to the u. Amistad omits some truths that must be told baltimore sun. Spielbergs 1997 movie amistad, the uprising, which created a nation. With the basic background knowledge i brought to the film, i thought it generally succeeded as both, particularly as entertainment.