The Middle Passage Sparknotes

The central argument being made by the filmmaker is the hardship of the Middle Passage. It gives accounts from history professors about the suffering of African Americans during this time period in their lives, as well as, quotes from the slaves who endured the Middle Passage. I do detect some bias in this documentary. For example, there are only two professors that speak in this documentary, which is interesting to me, because the creator of the documentary is usually the one who accounts the events. There is a bias in how the director, Steve Spielberg, might view the Middle Passage, being that he was not there nor do I believe that he could really relate to how African Americans could have felt during this time; except it being a horrible thing done to them which is why I feel he had to get professors to discuss the Middle Passage. The filmmaker offers support of the horrific event of the Middle Passage, by using images to show how slaves were depicted in the ships, the type of ships slaves were transported on, and the living conditions within those slave ships. The evidence seems to be
I think these stylistic elements were chosen because with images they paint and the emotions they tend to cause, based on what the picture may be. Also, the quotes might have been used to show to the audience that the Middle Passage was something that actually happened and the accounts of that, further bring out the heartbreak the viewers may feel and the injustice the African Americans endured. I think that if the director of this document choose other elements the message would definitely be different. Images and first-hand accounts tend to be the strongest supporting evidence a documentary can have since these events are being discussed from the past and some of the things that happened people cannot see in their head being that they have not experienced such