The film "Amda" shot by Spielberg has been translated into "Broken Rage" or "Fearless" in China. I found that many people who watched this film were written by the Lindas as much as I did. Influenced by the book "I Have a Dream", which is the third volume of their four-volume "A Closer Look at America", the whole book mainly introduces the issue of how to abolish slavery in American history. The entire book spends a quarter of its time introducing the famous "Amsda" case in American history. This case, like the later "Simpson case", was a major case that received national attention in the United States at that time. , and involved in a diplomatic dispute with Spain. I recommend Linda's book to many people. I think it is a very good introductory book to understand the United States. It is written in epistolary style and introduces many wonderful historical details. Today, many people have different attitudes and disputes around the United States, but the people who are in the dispute do not really know much about the United States. I think being able to spend time reading about the United States is also helpful for understanding reality.
The story takes place in 1839, just over fifty years after the founding of the United States, during the era of the eighth president, John Van Buren. A group of black Africans were captured as slaves by local tribal leaders in collusion with whites. They were trafficked to Cuba, bought again in Cuban slave markets, and loaded on a Spanish brig. As a result, the black slaves revolted on the road and killed them. Slave owner, drifted at sea for two months and broke into the United States. At that time, the United States was on the eve of the Civil War, and the domestic controversy about slavery became more and more serious. The fate and trial of the black people in Amsda suddenly became the focus of national attention. The white people who opposed slavery actively gave them to them. Provided aid, Spain and the surviving slave owners demanded their "goods" and property, and both sides brought a lawsuit against Bo...
In Linda's book "I Have a Dream", there is a detailed introduction to the real historical background of this case. I will not expand it too much. Spielberg's artistic adaptation is very successful, telling the story of freedom, legality and religious tolerance. story. The continuous progress of the United States over the past two hundred years is actually based on the continuous summarization and improvement of typical cases that have appeared one by one. Linda wrote this passage in the book: "Most of the footprints of American progress are made up of Supreme Court cases. But how to "challenge justice"? That is, people who firmly believe that they are right to violate a certain law The way to go to court, to provoke a debate about whether the law itself is reasonable. If you lose, you will appeal, and the lawsuit will be fought down to the Supreme Court."
This "Amsda" movie presents such a process of "challenging justice". Black slaves have different languages. When they came to this white world, they went to court in a completely ignorant state, but they could also feel it. There is a group of white people and their fellow black people who want to help them. They have to overcome very big difficulties and fight this lawsuit under extremely unfavorable circumstances. Defense lawyers must find a basis according to the existing law. The breakthrough they finally found is that these black people are originally free people in Africa, not slaves, not belonging to " Property", this defense angle and strategy is very interesting.
There is a very interesting dialogue in the movie. The white employer who opposes slavery hired a young lawyer. He cited the example of Christ Jesus. Jesus was tried and sent to the cross, but the lawyer said that Jesus lost the lawsuit. The movie is emphasizing the spirit of the rule of law. At the same time, it also has a strong religious ideal. At that time, many of the people who supported the abolition of slavery were white people, and the social status and rights of black people were not high at that time. In the film, many white Christians prayed for these black people and sent them " The Bible, in which black people understand the story of this country and nation with the help of the illustrations in the Bible, and the changing justices of the court also pray for God's revelation in the church before making a ruling.
The United States was originally a country built on the foundation of the Christian Puritan beliefs. This country did not have any great ideals and plans when it was founded. What they practiced was to implement the provisions they drafted in the Declaration of Independence. The most important of which is: "All men are created equal, and their rights to life, liberty, and private property are all natural human rights." Many American films are about these simple ideals and values.
Like the hand of God, the Armstad floated to America, entered the big history, and ignited the social focus at that time. How could a country that believes in the values advertised in the Declaration of Independence tolerate the existence of widespread slavery? Black people also gradually learned some English words in the courtroom. When these white people who do not speak the language are discussing their fate in the courtroom, they also know the shocking scene of standing up and saying "freedom".
The United States can form a strong national core from a loose confederation. It is the consensus and cohesion of these values. The values with religious idealism allow them to overcome each crisis and find an institutional solution. The Civil War is the internal system of the United States. The biggest crisis since the founding of the country has also tested the institutional structure of the United States. Although the framework of the separation of powers in the United States at that time was in place, it was not perfect in many places. For example, in this film, the executive power overstepped its power to interfere with judicial trials, and the presiding judge could be replaced. This is seen in the United States today. What is incredible, the core of the separation of powers is the checks and balances of power, "using ambition to counter ambition", on the basis of seeing the evil of human nature, designed the dog-eat-dog model of power, if the executive power can interfere with judicial trials for political purposes. is a very dangerous signal. The United States has always been vigilant and guarded against the abuse of the government's executive power in the institutional framework of the United States.
A strong and independent judicial system can protect the rights of citizens, and even the most vulnerable groups, their interests can be expressed and asserted in courts with independent judiciary. This is a socially stable security law, and it is also a country that can unite the power of the public. , Continue to unite people's hearts, the foundation of stability and unity.
John Quincy Adams, played by Anthony Hopkins in the movie, is a six-term president of the United States. His father is one of the founding fathers of the United States and one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams. Being the last defense lawyer of these black people on the Supreme Court at such an advanced age also shows the insistence of the father and son on freedom and ideals. The best scene in the film is his final speech before the Supreme Court: "If the Southern lords are right, how are we going to face this embarrassing and annoying Declaration of Independence? Proud, All people are born equal, and survival and freedom are their inviolable natural rights... Mendi people will pray for the protection of their ancestors when they are faced with a desperate situation. This is a tradition. The Di people believe that if the souls of the ancestors are brought in, they will stay in the world forever, and with the wisdom and strength cultivated by the ancestors, they will survive the crisis..."
He pronounced the names of America's forefathers: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George, Washington, and his father, John Adams. In the film, John Quincy Adams stands in front of his father's statue with a pause, which represents the transmission and inheritance of the spiritual value pursuit of the father and son.
The achievements of the predecessors, the later generations enjoy the cool, the American sages used their wisdom to lay the foundation of this country, and for more than two hundred years, they have promoted and improved this system by means of the rule of law, and combined the power of the public to form a country. The union based on freedom and belief is vital, not based on violence and obedience under the pressure of guns, so that everyone can exert their free will, and they have jointly accomplished an unprecedented feat in the process of human civilization— - Create a republic!
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