Steven Spielberg’s film “Amistad” and Howard Jones’ book “Mutiny on the Amistad” both tell the story of a group of slaves who were able to take over a ship called the Amistad just off the coast of Cuba in attempts to sail home to west Africa. After being tricked by the two remaining crewmembers into sailing up the east coast of America, the slaves are captured and thrown into a life changing legal battle, one of the most famous trials in history. Eventually, the group of slaves were granted their freedom and allowed to return to their homes. Both Spielberg and Jones focused on the events leading up to the trial, the outcome of the trial, as well as its significance, however Jones told the story with more depth, details, and accuracy. However even with this being said, there are still things that can be learned through viewing this film.
When viewing the film, students will learn and get a feel for a general outline of the events that took place. The film does not go into much detail about any of the characters or main events, however does focus on the trials and their eventual verdicts. Also, in typical Spielberg fashion, the cinematography of the movie helps to provide very detailed visuals of the horrifying nature of slavery, evident in the conditions we see on the two ships, the Amistad and the Tecora. Though what went on aboard the ships in the film may or may not have actually happened, it if safe to say actual events probably were not that far off. At the most, this film may provide some background information on the events that took place during this time, and which may lead to further interest in the viewer.
As previously stated, both the film and the book deal with the events of the Amistad and the fate of the slaves ...
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... speeches, testimonies, etc. to put together an in depth look at the Amistad, along with many more sources which can be found at the end of the book (pg. 222-259).
When it comes to teaching history in university, the fact that the book used many more reputable resources and remained true to the story makes it more suited and superior to the movie. The book is a more reliable source and a more accurate representation of all events that occurred, written from each angle. As stated earlier, Steven Spielberg put together very well made movie and includes many of the main events that occurred at the time, however due its inaccuracy and lack of detail regarding all events, it should not be used in teaching. It may be used to gauge interest and lead to further readings, however it should not be used over the book to teach the significance of this historical event.
Both, “The Interesting Narrative Life of Olaudah Equiano” and “Amistad” are important stories about slavery in pre-civil war america because they both address the issues of slavery. These gentlemen in the story made a difference in the slave trade. In “The life of Olaudah Equiano”, Olaudah was sold on a slave ship that came to the Barbados. Olaudah worked for his freedom, and in the end became efficient in American language. He worked his way to the free life and in the end it worked out for him, although it leaves scars on his soul. In “Amistad”, Cinque is a slave that leads a revolt on a slave ship after escaping. When they get to america, Baldwin, a lawyer that is representing the slave and the former president Adams helps free the slaves.
The book follows the plot whereas in the film they miss key events in Nathaniel’s and Steve Lopez life. In the book Mr. Lopez is a husband and has a daughter named Caroline “(..) While trying to be a columnist, husband and father (Lopez 95). The film begins with Steve Lopez falling off his an...
While watching the movie, I could see that the main characters in the book, both their names and traits, were the same in both the movie and book. However, aside from that there were many different as...
In 1997 a movie called Amistad depicted the true story of a group of Africans that were taken from their families and forced into slavery. Although the movie was heavily criticized for it's inaccurate tale of the terrible ordeal, it gave the story world-renowned attention. The real story had more drama and tearjerker parts then the movie did. If the movie ever gets remade, hopefully this time it follows the facts exactly.
There are three things in the article that is very compelling to me as a reader, the living conditions of the slaves in the ships, the rape the women faced, and the punishment styles the rebellious slaves had to endure. What they endured was almost like hell on earth, it was almost genocide, but without the intention of genocide.
important event and part of slavery that should have been shown in the movie. Even though I
The movie and the book are different in many ways but at the same time they have a lot of things in common, the movie doesn't have as much details as the book does but it is a very good movie. In the movie you can very easily see and understand what's going on being you are watching the whole thing with your eyes. The movie also shows you how the students have to fight each and everyday just so that they protect themselves in the streets, the streets is all they know because well they were born and raised in the streets so they learned all about it & are about it. In the movie you can clearly see the struggle they go through, and how the streets are & when they're in school. School is supposed to be a safe place for all kids.
This book is also one of the first non-fiction books that I’ve had to write a reaction about. I thought it was going to be difficult to write about a non-fiction book, especially this one, as most non-fiction books are more stories and character development and not cut-and-dry fact. Although this was a non-fiction account, the personal accounts Bales used (such as that of Ronald in Mato Grasso [Bales 127]) did have characters with personal stories, which made it much easier to both relate to the book as a reader and write about the book as a student. These small stories also gave me, as a student, more substance to write about then just numbers and statistics. Overall, Bales did an astounding job mixing those two separate entities, the statistics and the personal, to forge a lasting account of a fairly unknown problem in today’s world. Bales is desperately trying to enlighten the world about slavery, and with this novel, he is well on his way.
In the book, Tom, Huck, and another character named Jim voyage of to an island to see if the townspeople miss them. In the movie, they do the same thing, except for Jim is not with them, and a whole other group of people are. They also never reach an island, and camp out there. Now you can probably see why the movie was a bit frustrating to watch, having after read the book.
Another accuracy in this movie was the concentration camps in this movie, they were portrayed very well. Just like history, immediately after arriving at a concentration camp, they were split up and divided by gender and age. As soon as they arrived people who the Nazis did not see fit to work were killed. Along with this people
The book has some things it only has, which supports the idea that the book and movie
In conclusion, details involving the characters and symbolic meanings to objects are the factors that make the novel better than the movie. Leaving out aspects of the novel limits the viewer’s appreciation for the story. One may favor the film over the novel or vice versa, but that person will not overlook the intense work that went into the making of both. The film and novel have their similarities and differences, but both effectively communicate their meaning to the public.
Amistad is about a mutiny in 1839 aboard a slave ship, La Amistad, which eventually comes to port in New England. The West Africans who have commandeered the ship are taken into custody and the plot revolves around who "owns" them or if, indeed, they should be freed. This sets up the main event of the film, a courtroom drama about rights and origins, with the required flashbacks to the voyage and the gruesome conditions aboard the ship. The problem with this approach is that we learn less about the real conditions of slavery and instead focus on the more sanitized conditions surrounding the courtroom. In addition, we get a film which is largely about the efforts of the whites battling the case and much less about the struggles of the Africans themselves.
Since both the movie and the book focus on that one line, they are both more similar than different.
The film Amistad is based on a true event that occurred in 1839. It is about a mutiny by recently captured slaves, who take over a ship known as La Amistad, and the legal battle that followed regarding their freedom. The movie begins by showing many Africans chained together on the lower deck of La Amistad. They manage to break free and go to the upper deck and attack the sailors, leading a mutiny and taking over the ship. They leave two men alive to guide them back to Africa, but they point them towards the US. When they arrive in the states, the Africans are thought to be runaway slaves, and are imprisoned. The case of their freedom is taken to court, to decide whether the Africans were originally slaves or free men. One lawyer decides to fight for them, and pleads his case that the Africans were never slaves and were indeed free men. The case eventually makes it to the Supreme Court and a translator is eventually found to communicate with the leader of the Africans, and he tells his story. He was one of many illegally captured in Africa, and sold into slavery. When the time comes for the trial, John Quincy Adams pleas for their freedom. After a grueling trial, the slaves are said to be free men, and are to be sent back to their homeland, Africa.