There were fewer slaves in the North, where they mostly worked as servants. Official Sites The District Court ruled that the Africans be turned over to the President for return to Africa. [12], The musical score for Amistad was composed by John Williams. Tappan District Attorney William Holabird doubts that Cinques tale is true and claims that it makes no sense. What is the purpose of the camera movements during the judges final speech? There remains one task undone. Suppose he keeps a personal diary. Add information about the following parties and explain their roles. Lewis Tappan was a fervent abolitionist and leader of the Amistad Committee. First, they spent almost their entire two years in America behind bars. Meanwhile, abolitionist Lewis Tappan and his black associate Theodore Joadson (a former slave), resolve to help the captives. The ship is Amistad. The Spaniards predictably betray them and instead sail into US waters, where the ship is stopped by the U.S. revenue cutter Washington, and the mutineers are arrested. Adams continues by telling his audience about the Mende tradition of evoking their ancestors in hopeless situations and walks past the statues of former presidents saying that they have not been asked for guidance for a long time. The ship is traveling from Cuba to the United States and has a cargo of Africans captured in Sierra Leone and held at the Lomboko slave fortress. . Baldwin calls Captain Fitzgerald of the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron to corroborate Cinqu's testimony. The Amistad is taken over by the American Navy and the Africans are brought to New Haven (Connecticut), where they are imprisoned. For that purpose it should be shown twice. Not necessarily. [] What is most valuable about Amistad is the way it provides faces and names for its African characters, whom the movies so often make into faceless victims. Language 4. The film Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg, was about a slave ship, that became ingrained in American politics between 1839 and 1841. . This chapter is a flashback. [8] Chiwetel Ejiofor, while a student at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, made his film debut in the role of Ensign James Covey, having auditioned for the role while playing Othello at the Royal National Theatre in London. Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, and Matthew McConaughey had starring roles. _____ PART B (DURING VIEWING) /60 points Task One /5 points What are a few outstanding elements of character, tone, and gesture which the actor Morgan Freeman brings into the role of Theodore Joadson? In the meantime, the Africans have been brought to court again and Cinque finishes his story there. , but it is his spirit, more than his physique, that fulfills the role. The Amistad movie was a very good movie overall and it was accurate. Maybe, in this era of budget cuts, some of that $75 million could have more profitably been spent on our public libraries. The then unknown Chiwetel Ejiofor plays an interpreter. Tappan : The actor who secured the role would also need to learn the Mende accent spoken by Cinqu. To the movie's credit it does present a few powerful, perhaps unforgettable, scenes of the horrors of the Middle Passage. Then the viewer is acquainted with Lewis Tappan and his friend Theodore Joadson, two abolitionists, in their New Haven newspaper office . | [3][4] Dustin Hoffman was offered a role but turned it down,[5] while Will Smith and musician Seal both tried to secure the part. H-Law, H-Net Reviews, December, 1997. http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=14856 (accessed Sept. 15, 2010). The 1997 film Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg, and the novel Mutiny on the Amistad, written by Howard Jones, both retell the 1839 mutiny carried out by fifty-three Africans, resulting in a pivotal trial concerning civil rights. Characters in amistad Rating: 5,3/10 1473 reviews. "[21], The film debuted at No. The slave trade was dominated by the British. [19], In 2014, the movie was one of several discussed by Noah Berlatsky in The Atlantic in an article concerning white savior narratives in film, calling it "sanctimonious drivel. Collect information on the vessel La Amistad and present it to the class. I'll see what I can do about that. Traditional Dancing and Singing. Cinque's attorney, wants to prove they weren't born slaves, so could not legally ever become slaves. Joadson seeks advice from Adams, who tells him that court cases are usually won by the side with the best 'story'. His new film centers on the legal status of Africans who rise up against their captors on the high seas and are . At a . And it fallaciously proclaims the case a turning-point in the struggle to end slavery in the United States.. It was based on the true story of an uprising in 1839 by newly captured African slaves that took place aboard the ship La Amistad off the coast of Cuba. To preclude this possibility, Van Buren replaces the judge with a younger man, Coglin, whom he believes will be easier to manipulate. So, they're plantation slaves then. To just about everyone's surprise, Baldwin successfully manages to shift the basis of the case from murder and mutiny to a matter of ownership and eventually wins the slaves' acquittal. Blackmun was honored to appear in the movie, acknowledging it was a "significant film about our nation's struggle with slavery". The question was whether the Africans were born on Cuban plantations (and thus were slaves under Spanish law) or had been captured in Africa, which meant that they had been unlawfully acquired. There is always going to be a flaw or two in some movies. Amistad is a 1997 American historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the events in 1839 aboard the Spanish slave ship La Amistad, during which Mende tribesmen abducted for the slave trade managed to gain control of their captors' ship off the coast of Cuba, and the international legal battle that followed their capture by the Washington, a U.S. revenue cutter. Theodore Joadson Despite open auditions being held in London, Paris and Sierra Leone, the role remained unfilled with just nine weeks before filming was due to start. Directed by Steven Spielberg. : What was the "Underground Railroad" and what was its role in the anti-slavery movement? . Along with Lewis Tappan, he sought to free the Africans who were imprisoned during the Amistad trial of 1839, and, with the help of lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin, they won the case. The plot pivots on lawyer Roger Baldwins dawning realization that the case he is defending involves human beings, not just property rights, and on the transformation of John Quincy Adams, who initially refuses to assist the captives but eventually persuades the Supreme Court to order their return to Africa. Yeah? Baldwin and Joadson are shown waiting. For fifteen years, American Secretaries of State unsuccessfully badgered British authorities to return the slaves as both murderers and the recognized property of American citizens. What evidence do you find in this film to suggest that the American Civil War is dawning? Plot. 1 By Bruce A. Ragsdale Enlarge Sengbe Pieh (Cinque), leader of the revolt aboard the Amistad, in an 1839 portrait. ", Even the main hero of the movie, John Quincy Adams, had such a solid record of political indifference and callousness toward the plight of black Americans that abolitionists in his own state dubbed him the "Madman of Massachusetts.". Theodore Joadson: I am embarrassed to admit that I was under the misconception that our Executive and Judicial Branches were separate. Theodore Joadson Circuit Court which referred it to the (lower) District Court as a civil case. In "Amistad," Freeman plays an abolitionist who helps recruit the two principal attorneys for Joseph Cinque and the other 52 Africans accused of mutiny on a slave ship. But you dont know who they are. The slave ship mutiny that Frederick Douglass and other black leaders of that time were excited about was the Creole, not the Amistad. John Quincy Adams Does that pretty much sum up what you are? The film received largely positive critical reviews and grossed over $58 million worldwide. (Vocabulary: to rid oneself of evidence, inventory, provisions required for a journey, ghastly arithmetic, poundage, to have no merit, thorough reflection, utmost faith, to misrepresent sth., on the charge of), Analyze the different camera angles and movements throughout the court room scene and comment on their effect. Adams walks over to where the Declaration of Independence hangs on the wall and points out its meaning. This news - well of course it's bad news - but the truth is they may be more valuable to our struggle in death than in life. As it is crucial for the case, Baldwin wants to find out where the Africans come from. Burial Rites 7. : : [laughs] ''Amistad'' also stars Matthew McConaughey as Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins as Adams and Morgan Freeman as an abolitionist, Theodore Joadson. But "Amistad" almost didn't sail because Spielberg couldn't find the right actor to play Cinque, the 25-year-old rice farmer from the Mende tribe who led the rebellion. As tension rises, Cinqu abruptly stands and demands, "Give us, us free!". The Emancipation Proclamation or the Gettysburg Address, both by Abraham Lincoln. I thought that was a little over-wrought. During the film's development, John Quincy Adams, the African lawyer, was the first to file a brief in support . Chase-Riboud filed a $10 million lawsuit of copyright infringement. : Theodore Joadson The then former Supreme Court Justice, Harry Blackmun has a brief role portraying Justice Joseph Story, who delivered the opinion in the "Amistad" case. John Quincy Adams People were captured in wars and forced into slavery. U.S. v. Amistad: A Case of Jurisdiction on DocsTeach asks students to analyze specified passages from the Supreme Court's decision in United States v.Libellants of Schooner Amistad to explore the concept of jurisdiction and how a case travels through the Federal court system. Amistad is a historical drama film by Steven Spielberg. The Amistad Captives and the Federal Courts Spring 2003, Vol. He will decimate his enemies. Then there are also other roles that were complete fiction like Theodore Joadson. Over dinner, Baldwin explains the legal background of the case against the Africans. It is night. . [7] Hounsou auditioned with the hope of landing just a small role[6] and said he was not aware of the story before securing the role. . : Before viewing this part, the students should be introduced to (or revise) camera angles and movements and the scenes should probably be shown twice. Theodore Joadson Insatiable consumer demand (e.g. Keep in mind that seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices are Southern slave owners. En'Joy" theodore joadson role in amistad The scene opens with John Quincy Adams, then a Congressman representing a Massachusetts constituency in the House of Representatives, apparently asleep during a meeting. For example, federal Judge Andrew Judson declares the captives were actually free men and not Cuban slaves. Hounsou was not able to learn all his lines in Mende and those he could not were broken down and spoken phonetically, except for the most important scenes which he knew he needed to understand every word being spoken. . It does contain a few visually compelling moments, such as the scene on a slave ship that viscerally conveys the horrors of the Middle Passage. Their decisions can only be overturned by another Supreme Court decision. I'm sorry, I don't understand. Morgan Freeman ( VF: Benot Allemane ): Theodore Joadson; . What are a few outstanding elements of character, tone, and gesture which the actor Morgan Freeman brings into the role of Theodore Joadson? Religion played a significant role . "Amistad" boasts a star-spangled cast that includes Nigel Hawthorne as pro-slavery President Martin Van Buren, Anna Paquin as the pubescent Queen Isabella of Spain, and Morgan . The hero of the Creole mutiny was Madison Washington who had escaped from slavery in Virginia, but was recaptured when he went back to rescue his wife. In 1792, 400,000 Britons, particularly women, boycotted slave-grown sugar. If you find out something about them, their story will become interesting. Interpret Adams statement. Captured, they are imprisoned in New England where former slave Theodore Joadson (Morgan Freeman), viewing the rebels as "freedom fighters," approaches property lawyer Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey), who attempts to prove the Africans were "stolen goods" because they were kidnapped. One of the Africans is shown looking at pictures in the Bible. [6], The entire film was completed in 51 days and cost around $39 million. Joadson is an African American . I know you, Mr. President. Thomas Gedney, Richard Meade, naval officers There are cross-cuts between him thinking and praying at a chapel and the Africans talking about the Bible back in prison. He asks Cinque to stand up and explains that if he were not a black man, he would be considered a hero as he fought for his freedom. The initial hearing of the Amistad case took place before a U.S. Even if you won't. Study John Deans essay on Teaching History through Film. After having watched the movie. But complex white historic figures are presented as noble men interested in the welfare of black people; their evil, racist sides are not revealed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from 67 critics, with an average score of 6.9/10. At 152 minutes running time, the film is too long for an uninterrupted screening in the classroom. Many courthouse scenes were shot in the Old Colony House, while the prison scenes were shot within Fort Adams. Watch the first scene and make notes of what happens (preferably in English). Moreover, the movie offers a good opportunity to teach and discuss cinematic as well as rhetorical conventions in connection with the speech at the end of the film. . I know you, Mr. President. . During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. Morgan Freeman plays an escaped slave, Theodore Joadson, who works with an abolitionist group in the defense of the case. Local abolitionists take up their case and hire a young and inexperienced real estate lawyer to represent them. (Library of Congress) On August 29, 1839, a lone West African man named Sengbe Pieh stood in shackles before a special session of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. [holding up a nursery plant with tender branches] (This task could be done in groups. : The Amistad Case took place in 1839 when 53 illegally purchased African slaves were being transported from Cuba to the U.S. aboard the Spanish-built schooner Amistad. : : : The premiere of Amistad occurred Thursday, December 4, in Washington, D.C. [smiles and nods]. Apart from the intrepid Cinque, the Africans' leader, we never learn how the captives responded to their ordeal. There remains one task undone. The movie also omitted any reference to the extent to which the New England white missionaries worked zealously to rid the Africans of their names, language, customs and religious beliefs. In June of 1839, the Africans were purchased as slaves by four Spaniards and put on the schooner La Amistad (Spanish for "the friendship") for a voyage to Principe, an island republic, off the west coast of Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea. In the meantime, Baldwin has found a translator. Slavery has existed since ancient times. While it's in progress, it envelops us; paradoxically, when it's finished, it seems to stand free, like a . During a dinner at the White House, the connection between the abolition of slavery and an impending civil war is discussed. Would you personally choose anyone else to play this part . | Theodore Joadson He speculates that the captives were taken aboard the Tecora at the notorious slave fort Lomboko. Van Buren is discredited by his failure to prevent the release of the Africans, and loses the 1840 election to William Henry Harrison. [11] Prior to release, a legal battle ensued between Spielberg's DreamWorks Pictures and novelist Barbara Chase-Riboud, the latter who claimed that specific details from her 1989 novel Echo of Lions were lifted for the screenplay. [23], The United States Department of State and the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematogrficos (ICAIC) collaborated in 1998 to screen Amistad as part of an effort to increase "cultural diplomacy" built around shared national histories of racial struggles in the United States and Cuba.[24].
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