Name: Joshua B.

Jamelo Date:
Subject: Survey of Afro-Asian Lit for Grade 8 Teachers Section: A11.3

Slavery and labor organizations were common in Africa, as they were in some
parts of the old world as well. However, in some African societies where slavery was
prevalent, slave people were not treated as chattel slaves, and they were given specific
rights in the organization that were not available to those who were enslaved in other
parts of the world. When the Arab slave trade and the Atlantic slave trade first began,
some local worker organizations began supplying prisoners to slave markets outside of
Africa, which eventually became the norm.

The story follows the passengers and crew of the La Amistad, a two-masted
American schooner owned by a Spaniard. Sengbe Pieh led the slaves transported in La
Amistad against their captors in July 1839. All of these Africans were kidnapped from
their homelands with the intention of being sold as slaves. Two crew members were
kept alive to navigate the ship back to Africa, but they deceived Cinque and his people
and brought the ship to the US coast, where it was apprehended by the US Navy and
everyone was imprisoned for their violent deeds aboard the La Amistad. A highly
publicized court case about the plight of these so-called slaves would then ensue,
dredged in politics and emotion. The Amistad legal battle would eventually reach the US
Supreme Court, but in 1841, it was determined that the Africans were illegally
transported and kidnapped and thus cannot be considered slaves, but rather as
individuals defending their rights to freedom against oppressors, and they were ordered
to be freed.

Amistad deserves credit for being one of the few films to address a pre-civil war
event involving slavery. It also delves into the concept of slavery in America during the
same era, but with a twist. This is not a story about American slaves; rather, it is about
men who came dangerously close to becoming American slaves through no fault of
their own. It accomplishes this by presenting issues of racism, human rights, and moral
awareness, all set against the backdrop of a time when slavery was permitted to some
extent. This is probably one of the very few, and most recent, films that explores this
subject through the lens of a historical event.

However, one of the most notable aspects of the film is the use of the original
language from the actual incident, Mende, a West African language, and the
presentation of it in scenes that do not require translation, because not all audiences
are interested in watching movies with subtitles. Spielberg made a brilliant decision by
not including dialogue in the first scene, allowing the audience to participate in the
scene through empathy and nuances rather than through translations. This was a truly
brilliant move by Spielberg because it allowed the audience to partake in the scene
through empathy and nuances rather than through dialogue. As Leong points out, while
this is a technique that is rarely used in movies today and is truly commendable
(Leong), historically speaking, the film is still bound by the same directorial
interpretation, which should credit the film as a cinematic rendition and interpretation of
the La Amistad affair rather than being used to present historical facts.

Another distinction that can be made about Amistad the movie is that it is one of
the most singular films that have been recommended by a wide range of educational,
socio-political, and historical groups and organizations in the areas of civil rights,
bigotry, racism, social and moral awareness, and historical awareness on a global
scale. However, the fact that it is regarded as having historical significance is extremely
problematic. There are simply too many deviations from actual historical data in the film
for it to be considered a legitimate curriculum supplementary material. While it continues
to be one of the most influential films on slavery, thanks to its innovative approaches to
the subject matter and outstanding performances, it must be recognized for what it is: a
mind-opening, social awareness cinematic masterpiece that placed a greater emphasis
on entertainment than on factual information in order to reach the greatest number of
people from the widest range of races and countries. That alone is a significant
accomplishment for any film, and it is highly commendable and deserving of praise. It
has proven to be extremely effective in achieving this goal, and it should not be lauded
or given more historical credit than is properly due.