Does Amistad Abuse History?
By the Reel American History class, Lehigh University, July 2010 Teacher’s note: Gary Rosen’s article proclaims that Amistad abuses history. The film is, Rosen says, “an extraordinary example of racial preference, giving blacks a prominence and importance they did not have while distorting or denying the role of whites.” I asked our class how they felt about Rosen’s inflammatory charge: does Amistad abuse history? (Prof. Edward J. Gallagher) Contributors: Lauren Calabrese, Brian Carroll, William Doherty, Kristen Englehardt, Elizabeth Guzzo, Greg King, Travis Statham, Karen Timmerman Lauren Calabrese While Steven Spielberg’s Amistad presents glimpses of historical truths, the majority of the film distorts and subverts the historical accuracy of the Amistad event in order to adhere to hegemonic voyeuristic standards of Hollywood. DVD scene 11, “A Slave’s Journey,” offers haunting and mentally disturbing images of the middle passage. This scene is arguably the most visually powerful and h
