Documentary Film Analysis (Must Be Typed) Film Title: The Middle Passage Movie Review

____(3) 1.  Select which category [in parentheses] this documentary fits into and explain why you think it best fits that classification. (awareness/social concerns, biography, research/informative, investigative)
This documentary fits best into the category of awareness/social concerns because the slave trade was a terrible event that more people need to be aware about because it destroyed the lives of many African families for at least 400 years.
____(3) 2. Discuss at least three major themes within this documentary, using examples from the film to support your choice. Your discussion should consist of a paragraph for each theme and its examples. [examples of themes might be: rebellion, loyalty, oppression, fear, freedom, heroism, reform, hatred, discrimination, conflict, war, determination]
The first major theme of The Middle Passage was that the slave trade disrupted, in an unspeakable horror, the freedom of African families. For example, those who were caught, and chained for transport by the middle passage to the New World lost everything they knew, including their families, their tribes, and their villages. So, European slave traders stole the Africans’ rights of the freedom.
A second theme of The Middle Passage is that the slave traders were also interested in converting slaves to Christianity. However, the slave trade was not civilized. Many of the slave ships, such as “Brotherhood”, and “Jesus” had Christian names. Thus, the slave trade was built on profit and religion, and was the opposite of Christianity because of its cruel treatment of other human beings that Europeans called inferior.
Lastly, few people are aware that many captives of the European slave traders fought very bravely, and rebelled against their captors. For example, many slaves resisted their capture. Also, many slaves organized mutinies on the ships. On July 31, 1839, a slave rebellion occurred on a ship called La Amistad, where 53 slaves organized a very violent rebellion. Eventually, the slaves got control of the ship, but their voyage ended in Connecticut. A court’s decision that the slaves of a Spanish slave ship were kidnapped Africans was approved by the US Supreme Court. The slaves were defended by former President John Quincy Adams.
____(3) 3.   How is the title relevant to one or all of the theme(s) you mentioned in #2?
Since La Amistad means friendship in Spanish (spanishcentral.com), this word supports the second theme because the ship’s name did not have anything to do with friendship.
____(3) 4. What kind of response do you think the filmmaker hopes to evoke from his/her viewing audience? Discuss what you believe the filmmaker's purpose is; how does he/she attempt to reach his viewing audience?
I think Spielberg hopes to evoke a sense of horror and shock to the realities of the slave trade, while exposing an unknown of world history. Spielberg’s purpose is to make people aware of the horrific reality of the slave trade and not just slavery. He tries to reach his viewing audience by relating the history of the African slave trade to American history.
____(3) 5. How would you describe the filmmaker's particular position in the development of this film? Does he/she intentionally take a strong stance ( choose sides) or remain impartial? Why do you think he/she took the stance he/she does? How do you feel about his/her stance?
Spielberg’s particular position is one of who shows of truth about the bad secret of the middle passage. He intentionally takes a strong stance against slavery, and the slave trade, because he hopes to ended the ways how slaves were treated by Europeans. I feel that his stance was showing what happened, because it is based on documented history.
____(3) 6. What impact is the filmmaker trying to achieve with his/her audience through the visuals employed in the film? Describe in detail at least three visuals (images; scenes; segments, etc.) that strongly impacted you as a viewer.
The filmmaker is trying to show how was the harsh treatment for the slaves after capture them, and during their trip to America. Some of the scenes that impacted me the huge fortresses on the coast where the slaves were held, and showing the slaves walking shackled to each other, and an image of a neck shackle that was designed if they and thinking to escape through the forest they will hanging in forest's tree leaves.
____(3) 7. Offer at least three kinds of audio devices the filmmaker utilizes in the film (ex: voice, music, narration, background sounds). How do you think such devices impact the viewing audience?
The film uses narration, which adds more truthfulness to the film, and native songs sung by African performers, the voices of actors portraying slaves, also sound of the terrifying ocean. All that to put the viewing audience as closely as possible in the experience of fear that a captured African slave have felt.
____ (3) 8. Describe at least three expert testimonies or primary sources (eye witnesses/archival footage and documents such as diaries/journals/maps/charts) that the filmmaker employs. How do such sources lend credibility to the documentary and convince the audience of the its authenticity?
A journal entry by Sir Richard Drake shows that Africans were hunted savagely by slavers. Also, an ancient from Egypt shows Hebrew slaves, showing that slavery was commonplace since the beginning of civilization. Lastly, a type of advertisement by the Royal African Company portray Africans as they are just things that needed to be insured by the corporations that captured them.
____(3) 9. Discuss the historical significance (importance) of this film for the time period it covers in U.S. history.
The film is important for the earliest time period of U.S. history because it shows that much of the freedom and liberty for all, and it did not apply to slaves from Africa, and that previous people allowed the black holocaust to happen.
____(3) 10. Discuss whether the film's key messages (themes) are portrayed realistically and/or accurately? Does the filmmaker get his/her message(s) across well? If not, what do you feel needs to be changed?
The film’s key messages are portrayed realistically, and that because of many things, such authors’ commentaries, and original documents. Spielberg gets his message across well because he merged the slave trade with American history, and that creating a sense of horror that these things occurred while white men enjoyed freedom. I do not feel that anything in this film needs to be changed.
_____ Total Points (out of 30)