Wanting Free in “Amistad”

Any epic that deals with slavery is bound to be heart wrenching, and “Amistad” is no exception. The film boasts a pretty impressive all star cast (including Djimon Housou in his first starring role), and is expertly directed by Steven Spielberg. The movie had some pretty incredible scenes, including an amazing presentation of the Gospel in picture format. Never underestimate the power of pictures to tell a story! Christianity was also used as the reason in defense of the Africans on trial, which is surprising since blockbusters tend to stay away from religious material that is unpopular in mainstream America.

Since the Africans did not know English, they had no idea what was being said about them. There was a translator, but his efforts to communicate between the Americans and the native Africans were hampered by cultural misunderstandings. However, the Africans did hear an English word enough times to understand its meaning: freedom. In a particularly moving courtroom scene, the Africans start chanting, “We want free! We want free! We want free!” Their passion for freedom at the hand of their captors was palatable.

In the film, it was apparent that the majority of whites at that time did not view Africans as equally human, and treated them savagely, having a violent disregard for their lives. The conditions on the slave ships were beyond appalling, and the movie most likely didn't truly depict what it was really like. It’s hard to imagine how someone could have the capability of being so evil as to drown women and children the way they did on slave ships. More appalling is that slavery and inhumane treatment still occurs today. Forced prostitution, child soldiers, and slavery are still modern blights in the world. Although slavery is currently illegal, and in mainstream society unacceptable, human trafficking still occurs. Why do people think that they can enslave others, whose unalienable right is freedom?

Amistad dealt with the issue of American slavery very well, and it was obvious that the point of the film was to shed light on part of America’s dubious past.