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Introduction
La Amistad is a film that was written by David Franzoni and directed by Steven Spielberg. It is based on a historical incident that took place in 1839.The movie is about a group of Africans who are kidnapped and sold into slavery at a time when slavery has already been declared illegal trade in the high seas. These slaves are captured from Africa and sold into slavery, and at the time of the incident, they have been taken to Cuba and are ready for transportation to a new destination to serve as slaves. This new destination is Spain.
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As the film commences, Sengbe, who is addressed by the Spanish equivalent, Cinque manages to secure a nail which he uses to unlock his shackles. He then proceeds to free a number of slaves resulting in a huge free force that descends on the crew killing most of them. Only two are left for the purpose of sailing the ship called la Amistad back to Africa. But as it turns out, the American navy captures them and takes them to the state of Connecticut, United States where they are jailed. What happens after the jailing?
The Queen of Spain, Isabella II, makes a demand that the ship and the cargo, meaning the slaves, be sent to Spain since they are Spanish property. This is a case that angers the abolitionists who are determined to end this cruel and evil treatment of fellow human beings. It is reminiscent of the treatment of Israelites while in slavery in Egypt. On the other hand, the supporters of slavery are determined to keep the slaves in the United States as a source of labor given that at this time, the southern part of the United States is heavily reliant on slave labor on its plantations. The other option that this group of people can withstand is the shipping back of these slaves to Spain.
The court battle that follows involves a number of groups claiming ownership of slaves. The abolitionists and their lawyer are also there trying to convince the judge that the Africans were free people who were illegally captured from their homes and sold into slavery. In fact, Cinque is a tribal chief. In the court struggle, Cinque stands accused to stirring trouble in a ship in the high seas. The abolitionists look for the support of John Quincy Adams, an old statesman whose father was a founding figure of the United States. In the Supreme Court hearing that serves as the second court session for the Africans, Adams makes an impassioned pleas for the release of the Africans saying that enslaving them would by hypocritical given the fight they had put up to escape the mistreatment of the Britons during colonial times. The slaves are released to the annoyance of the pro-slave forces.
Does this movie convey the essence of the times? Is it historically accurate? To say that the movie is inaccurate is to be dishonest. Also, denying that it conveys the essence of the times is to lie. To a large extent la Amistad captures the times in the most appropriate way. The portrayal of the kind of suffering the slaves had to endure is real and the evil nature of their captors is well illustrated. Above all, the tension that existed between the groups that wanted to perpetuate slavery in the United States as well as other parts of the world and the abolitionists is well brought out in the court struggles. The joy that freedom is reminiscent of the happiness that freed slaves experienced. And above all, the fighting spirit of the captives is a true representation of how the sheer strength of will made slaves work towards their freedom in the worst of circumstances. Therefore La Amistad captures the essence of the Cinque and his fellow captives felt upon the reclamation of their times and is historically accurate to a large degree.
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