African History In Amistad: Film Analysis

Freedom is a symbol of immortality, a good term for countless people who suffered in Africa. The definition of freedom is very broad. Freedom can be that people can preserve traditional religious beliefs; freedom can be the right to choose a way of life; freedom can be to express their own opinions as they please; freedom can even just eat a full meal, a happy and carefree life without oppression and pain. However, people in Africa work hard and fight for it. The road to freedom is always full of suffering and rough. When people try to get their own freedom from the colonizers or authoritarian governments, they are often accompanied by bloody suppression and even ruthless slaughter. Even so, generations of African people have continued to regain their freedom and rights from the powerful.

Algeria is the first country in Africa to achieve independence through armed struggle. The Algerian people face enormous challenges in their struggle for national freedom. These Algerians face a well-equipped and well-trained French heavy soldier. In the case of equipment and the environment was in a huge disadvantage, the Algerian people found a way to fight the French army with great blood. They carried out their assassinations against the French in a group of three. The women who are wrapped around the headscarf, the children who are ignorant and the farmers who are responsible for the duty. They pick up the guns and they are the soldiers, putting down the guns they are the civilian. In the analysis of the movie named “Re-viewing The Battle of Algiers with Germaine Tillion”, it illustrates: “ but to condemn a quasi-colonial situation that generated such violence and the immoral, unethical, yet rational system of repression that operates through startlingly accessible figures like Mathieu – a composite of Massu and other paratrooper officers.”(Reid, 2005)

Even after regaining national sovereignty from the colonizers and aggressors, some African people did not immediately see the establishment of a true democracy. Uganda is an example. The challenge facing Uganda is mainly from the internal dictator–Amin.

From the movie General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait, the audience can understand that Amin has ruled Uganda with an iron fist no matter what promises he has made and what kind of hope he has made. He eliminated potential aliens through executions and forced exiles. He also used the differences between Ugandan tribes to divide and rule, leaving the country in a state of disintegration, so as not to threaten his rule. In addition, he launched the army to legalize violence to protect his rights. Amin always said that he was telling the truth, he liked to be honest, he had ideas and plans, Uganda was wealthy, but it was a lie he made. Under his rule, only rights and killings. Every time he gave a speech, he revealed an ignorance, profound and difficult to change. This self-proclaimed, democratic leader, the pioneer of the revolution, is only a weak and conceited coward. He has only one method to kill those who oppose him. He is very aware of his situation, and uses a lie to cover up another lie, hypnotizing himself in the screaming, and covering up his weakness. A dictator can only speak if he holds someone else’s mouth. Only when you control other people can you act. Alicia Decker mentions that “As the campaign gained momentum, the tenor of the movement shifted. Accolades were replaced by harsh invectives, with military men chastising community members for their overall dirtiness and laziness. What had begun as a collective nation-building exercise soon deteriorated into something much more sinister, with government officials berating citizens for their lack of cleanliness.”( Decker, 2010）

In the process of learning about African history, the most human part is reflected in the movie “Amistad”. Even in Sierra Leone, where technology was lagging behind in the 19th century, viewers could see that the locals lived a life of poverty and self-sufficiency. They were united and friendly and carefree. Africans were brutally persecuted and abused by Spanish slave traders. In the article “The African Origins of the Amistad Rebellion, 1839” , it mentions “ Kinna remembered the neck-rings as a special humiliation: ‘‘Chain on neck – you know dey chain ox’’. Fetters turned human beings into property, but not without a struggle. Casual violence was commonplace on slaving vessels, and the Amistad was no exception. Captain and crew alike used whips, clubs, and fists to terrorize and control the captives. Cinque ́ and Bau added that they were kept ‘‘almost starved’’ – this on a vessel full of food.” (Rediker, M. 2013 )However, through Roger Baldwin’s constant efforts. Black people, like Cinque, are still willing to believe in strangers whose skin color is different from theirs. As a black African who does not understand English at all, Cinque shouted ‘Give Us Free!’ in the non-standard English in court. The scream of the back of the paper, and the unyielding rebellion and struggle of cinque, made his image particularly distinctive. And has a unique artistic charm. From his audience, the African people under the black skin can also see an unparalleled rebellious spirit and a desire for freedom. “Everyone is born equal, and the creator gives them certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ This is the civil rights stipulated in the US Constitution and the idea of the founding of the United States. But even so, we have seen African slaves in the land rights struggle is not easy, after ruling they were obtained Cinque years of freedom, had also occurred in slave states of slaves fled to the Free State, it can not be considered Citizens still can’t get rid of the attributes of goods. Blacks in this land can be just the beginning of the sale of goods, and later became a free man certain rights, and finally become the full enjoyment of constitutional rights of citizens along the way is more than a hundred years. In addition to the awakening of the black people’s own rights awareness, there are many white people to help, and every step of the rights struggle is not easy. Fortunately, the country has faith in religion and law, they use the law to promote the realization of the rights, but also influence and push forward the development of the law.

Reference

1. Decker, A. C. (2010). Idi Amin’s dirty war: Subversion, sabotage, and the battle to keep Uganda clean, 1971-1979. International Journal of African Historical Studies, 43(3), 489-513.
2. Rediker, M. (2013). The African Origins of the Amistad Rebellion, 1839. International Review of Social History, 58(S21), 15–34. doi: 10.1017/s0020859013000242
3. Reid, D. (2005). Re-viewing The Battle of Algiers with Germaine Tillion. History Workshop Journal, 60(1), 93–115. doi: 10.1093/hwj/dbi035
4. DreamWorks Distribution LLC. (1997). Amistad.
5. NYFF. (1975). General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait.
6. Allied Artists Corporation. (1966). The Battle of Algiers.