In US History we have watched a few films this past year. Watching these films really opened us up to and prepares us for analyzing movies and the accuracy behind them. Films can be a great way to learn history, as long as they are accurate and show truths of the story. The movie 12 Years a Slave, Glory, Smoke Signals, and the most recent independent movie of our choice, mine being Loving, are all connected in more ways than one. One thing in common between all the movies would be the act of racism, and the inequality of the treatment of people. The other being the accuracy and truth telling of the actual historical events.
12 Years a Slave, Glory, Smoke Signals, and Loving all represent how different colored people were treated throughout many decades of United States history. 12 Years a Slave dating back to old United States slavery time, Glory, going back to the civil war, Smoke Signals going back to the 90's and Loving based in the 60's and 70's show how people are treated so unfairly solely based on their color, and their ethnicity throughout all different times in history, even going back just 30 years ago. The way people are treated has been a huge issue for the United States no matter what the date has been. Each of these films has shown the struggle that these colored people have to deal with, along with the fall that the government ends up taking due to the violation of the amendments and the constitution.
For the three films listed above, and the most recent, Loving, each one has been heavily filmed based on accurate events and primary sources. With Smoke Signals being a bit of an exception, each film was written solely based on the primary sources we have today. 12 Years a Slave, completely written off of the autobiography of the main character, takes the viewer through his life and hardships of being an African American man born free, then put in slavery. Glory, relied off of the letters written by Shaw, takes the viewers through a newly african american regiment for the Civil War. It showed viewers the experience these african american men had, both free and former slaves, and how they were treated differently due to their color. Smoke Signals is based on a work of fiction, but is gathered by real Native American life and experiences, that were only lived 30 years ago. The writer of this movie, along with the author of this story, are Native American, showing the viewer that the film is exemplifying their life, or the people around them's lives. Finally, my movie of choice, Loving, is based on the real court case and trial of Loving VS Virginia. This film takes the reader through the life of a black woman and white man's life of a forbidden marriage. The filmmaker wrote this story based on true facts and events, and I got to prove this film's accuracy through research.
Loving, is based on a trial titled, "Loving VS Virginia" that was argued on April 10, 1967 in Carolina County, Virginia. Virginia was acclaimed to be known as a love state, and for all of the love that was radiated in it's state... but apparently not. This couple, Mildred being african american, and Richard being white, went up to Washington D.C. to get married. They then came back to Virginia to establish the marital abode and were then torn out of their beds in the middle of the night and taken to jail. The two were trialled for an interracial marriage, that was not to be allowed in Virginia. The original court ruling said that the two were either to move away for 25 years, or to be sentenced to prison for a year. They moved away and time went on and Mildred decided to mail a letter to the General Attorney Kennedy. Kennedy's people saw this letter and sent it to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) which was then handed to two lawyers, Cohen and Hirkschop. The two lawyers argued that the case was a violation of the 14th Amendment reading that "Under our constitution... the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resided with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the state.". The two obviously won the case and changed Interracial Marriages for the United States, and World, to this day. The Interracial laws, and Miscegenation laws of Virginia, and the whole United States, date all the way back and are an issue due to the act of slavery. I would even say that the film 12 Years a Slave is even a source for the film Loving. If African Americans were not treated as property and were treated the way whites were, and had the same rights that whites had, their would be no issue and no limits on who one could marry. I also believe that the laws of Interracial Marriages also lead to the laws of same sex marriages. I believe that the treatment of people belonging to any race, should be the exact same, just as our constitution says.
Every historical film should be based on real events in our history. I believe that all these films should be heavily based on the primary sources, and tellings, we have from that event. Each of the events listed, along with Loving, all have heavily researched and accurate topics. All of the movies also have that racism aspect to them. I think it is important to realize how people are treated throughout each film listed to see how our country was and how it came to be where it is. It is important to see that although our country worked hard and long on a Constitution, that states would independently go behind the country's back and establish ruled based on racism and color of one's skin. It is important to see that all men and woman were and are created equal on this planet, and especially on this country. It is important to make sure that the films are accurately researched and filmed, so that there is not a misrepresentation on how real people were and are treated in this world today.
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