FREE ESSAY ON AMISTAD

AMISTAD

AMISTAD
Director: Steven Speilberg
Screenwriter: David Franzioni
Amistad is a film that shows the beginning of slavery and how it all began. To my
surprise, the African Americans started slavery themselves, because they traded
themselves for guns, materials, food, and many other things.
Slaves were brought over on the ship, La Amistad from Cuba and tried to free themselves
from their owners. The slaves killed all of the whites on their ship except for two. They
did not kill these two whites because they hoped that these whites would help them find
their way home, but in fact, they were still bringing them to Spain, to be used there.
However, these two men led to them to the United States, where there this whole story
begins. Two prominate men in New Haven, one African American, one white, finds a young
lawyer willing to help them, for a low fare, try to win the slaves freedom. A difficult
task to say the least, the young lawyer, Roger begins his job. The task is most difficult
because there are documents to say these men belong to Queen Isabella II of Spain, and
they are property of Spain because they originated in Havana, Cuba. Roger must prove this
is a lie, and prove they came from Africa. Because according to the people in the United
States, they were sold to and are from Spanish territory, meaning they were Spanish
slaves. How strange it is that they don't speak Spanish? Throughout the story there is
constant ambition from the lawyer and these two prominent men, as they try to free these
slaves who have been terribly abused by whites.
To me, Roger is the one critical character to the movie. Roger is an abolitionist, who
fights for the freedom of slaves. He defines communication with the slaves, finds out
their true story and helps them to be freed from rule and gives them justice. He uses his
mind as well as his heart to help free the slaves. He found a way for communication
between himself and the Mendee tribe, and before him no one would try to talk to them.
This man was a true man who reached for his goals, and fought for what he believed in.
There are many crucial and important scenes in this movie. The most important scene to me
is the scene with Roger and Cinque. Cinque is the main slave, which we come in close
contact with in this movie. Roger, with the help of his translator Kai-Nyga, begins to
talk to Cinque about how he got here. Roger needs to find out the truth and he struggles
hard to do so. Roger finally shows him a tooth which he found on the ship, this tooth,
given to Cinque from his wife, this tooth immediately brings memories to Cinque and he
begins to speak of his long journey here, and how it really happened. He tells him how
the slaves were treated like animals, and constantly being beaten and abused for
everything, constantly chained up liked dogs to a tree, and being forced to complete
impossible tasks. Cinque tells Roger that it all began in Africa where slaves began to
trade slaves. And from there, they were brought to Cuba, where Queen Isabella II
purchased this selected group of slaves. And then after put on a ship, the slaves killed
all the whites, and tried to turn home, however were overpowered by the ocean, and landed
in New Haven, which they all are now. 
This story takes place in the years 1839-1842. First off, the beginning of the film tells
us that is year of 1839, and that the current president is our 8th president, Martin Van
Buren. He was president from 1837-1841. This was a major time in our economy because it
was significantly changing. This was directly before our Civil War and the Industrial
Revolution. Then, it continues into the presidency of 1842, our 9th president, William
Henry Harrison. 
It is absolutely disgraceful how minorities are depicted. I am truly amazed. The slaves
were treated like a piece of property and not like individual respected human beings.
They were thrown off boats when there were too many of them; they were fed enough food
for a mouse, beaten to death even when doing nothing wrong. They define pain and
suffering, because they lived through that everyday of their lives.
I give this movie a 10. I thought it was well written, because it truly depicts slavery
how it was. It gives us a clear overview of what went out and how slavery started. It is
something I would definitely watch again.