Synopsis of “Rosewood”
John Singleton’s movie, “Rosewood”, is a cinematic depiction of the racial injustice in 1920s United States. More importantly, the movie illustrates the human injustice that existed as the core element of America’s antebellum slavery paradigm. Life for slaves before the Civil War, and life for African Americans after the Civil War, shifted within that paradigm where those in power benefited from the expendability of humans of another race. The slavery paradigm has been a part of human history from the beginning of man; it is a paradigm of human injustice.

The movie, though not completely factual, takes place in a small self-sustaining black community, Rosewood, in Levy County, Florida. During the morning on New Year’s Day in 1923, a beautiful young white woman, named Fannie Taylor, alleges that she had been sexually assaulted by an African American in her home in Sumner, Florida. However, viewers of the movie know the allegation was a fabricated lie. Singleton directs a scene prior to the false allegations wherein she is assaulted by her lover who was a white man.

When the members of the Sumner community heard about Fannie’s claim, they did not question whether she was telling the truth. As is common in small communities, rumors spread fast, and gossip is a common pastime activity. The fabricated accusation grows to include rape of Fannie by a black man. It was easy for the Sumner community to believe the accusations were true because the general attitude of white individuals towards black individuals was saturated in perverse negativity and superiority. Even though 60-plus years had passed since the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans were thought of, spoken of, and treated less than their fellow white man. Add to the mix a struggling national economy, it was no time before the men in the white community of Sumner formed a lynch mob that committed violent, murderous, and destructive acts against innocent members of Rosewood. The massacre lasted from January 1, 1923 through February 15, 1923.

Not one individual was ever charged for their part in the attack upon Rosewood. The secret laid buried until 1982 when investigative reporter, Gary Moore, published his discovery of the atrocities that took place. In 1994, relatives of and survivors of the Rosewood massacre were compensated by the Florida Legislature in the passing of the Rosewood Bill.

As mentioned earlier, this film is not a 100% factual.  To keep the audience captivated and to add dramatic flair to the script, Singleton created a fictional character for the film: Mr. Mann portrayed by (Ving Rhames). There was no member of the 1923 Rosewood community by the name of Mann. In the movie, Mann is the protagonist portraying a courageous, unshaken hero, like a Knight in Shining Armor. There are not normally John Wayne types that rescue us from tragedies and injustices in real life. Aside from the fictional Mann character and a few other tweaks of the A Documented History of the Massacre storyline, the movie was historically accurate. To this day, the actual death toll in the 1923 Rosewood community is unknown. Lastly, if you try to get the historical perspective from relatives of/or survivors from a nearby white community or the historical perspective from relatives of/or survivors from the 1923 Rosewood community, you will get two different stories,

This movie can be summed up as an open window into America’s history where racial injustice was widespread while masked with the Pledge of Allegiance that proclaimed liberty and justice for all, regardless of if one’s race was white, red, yellow, brown, or black.

Critical Appraisal of the Historical Accuracy and Context:

John Singleton uses the story of the Rosewood Massacre to create a strong, engaging film that also addresses the conditions that African Americans had to endure in the 20th century. Due to the lack of information on the massacre for about 60 years some of the facts of the film are questionable. Some of the characters may be different representations of one actual survivor and the death toll is not officially known. While the State of Florida officially only recognizes 8 deaths in the massacre, at the time this film was made, many of the living survivors said the death toll was between 40-150 people. John Singleton chose to portray the massacre as told by the survivors, depicting mass graves of Rosewood residents rather than the deaths of only 8 people. Despite certain questionable facts, the film is accurate in portraying the constant threat of violence that did not disappear following emancipation and reconstruction but rather became enhanced through the rise of lynchings. Rosewood depicts the prevalence of lynching as well as the culture of lynch mobs and their intentions, which were socially acceptable at the time.  The film engages with common Black stereotypes that were heavily believed during the 20th century such as the assumed criminality and violence of Black people and the white response to these stereotypes. Singleton can create dynamic characters that are used to address criminality and the constant threat towards Black people and livelihood. Despite the Rosewood Massacre falling outside of the time period of History 2065, it is still valuable as it portrays the ways in which Black stereotypes and threats, we studied were perpetuated into the 20th century and how systems of oppression did not disappear after slavery but rather they evolved to continue to harm Black people.

In response to news of the “rape” and two white men killed, Singleton portrays large groups of men including members of the Klan preparing to attack Rosewood and celebrating the lynchings of other Black men. D.W. Griffith’s 1915 “The Birth of a Nation” was a catalyst in the strong resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, in opposition to the criminality and threat of Black people, especially the Black man. “The Birth of a Nation” portrayed the Klan as a virtuous group of white men going to protect and avenge the honor and innocence of white women who were at risk of being harmed and raped by Black men. This large increase in Klan activity in 1915 as a result of this film provides historical and cultural context to the events of 1923 Rosewood massacre.

This film engages the historicity and commonality of lynchings. Lynchings are a form of mob violence in which the group assumes the positions of judge, jury, and executioner. Lynchings were extremely common during the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Singleton can capture how the purpose of lynchings was not always as punishment for a specific crime as very little evidence was needed to justify whether one was guilty or not. An accusation of being guilty was more than enough “evidence,” as was depicted in the film despite the characters lack of actual association with the offense. Singleton’s portrayal of the intentions of the lynch mob accurately portrays how lynchings were used to keep Black people under the constant threat of violence and death and to keep them “in their places” at the risk of being lynched. The willingness to kill an entire town to find one man based on many lies created to avoid punishment or embarrassment despite them threatening Black people addresses the ways in which Black lives were valued at the time. In many examples in the film, Singleton can represent how the word of Black people is significantly devalued in comparison to the word of white people at this time, even in comparison to the lies of white people. Despite telling the truth Black people are lynched and nearly lynched unless a white character was able to step in to provide credibility and protection for them. Lynching is an example that Black bodies and lives were viewed as disposable and worthless and could be threatened for the gain of white people who went unpunished by the law.

Through its portrayal of the difference in credibility of the word of Black and white people, the film challenges the historical stereotype of the innocence and purity of white women. The audience can witness the adulterous actions of Fannie Taylor and her lie to cover up her actions. The lynch mob does not make any effort to really find out any facts rather than threaten to lynch all the Black men and people of Rosewood. However, it is their acknowledgment of the fact they know the Black people lynched were likely innocent and they suspected her of lying that is so significant to addressing the trope of the innocent and pure white woman in films such as these and in American culture at the time. This is significant because despite the film being based on the events of the 1923 Massacre, this film was created in 1997 and so by then the world had more recently witnessed the repercussions of lies such as these through events such as the murder of Emmett Till. I believe that events such as the murder of Emmett Till likely informed the way that John Singleton chose to deal with and portray the lies of Fannie Taylor and the consequences.

Historically it is significant that Jesse Hunter was portrayed in this film to have run away from a chain gang because of how chain gangs were another threat to Black livelihood. During the reconstruction era, Chain gangs were created as a new form of free manual labor using convicts following the emancipation of Black people. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude unless as punishment for a crime. Therefore, as a result Black man were brought up as criminals for nearly any of every offense including vagrancy and made to serve extremely long sentences to be used as means of labor. This was a new threat to freedom and equality for Black people that was spoken of in the 19th century and this practice continued to threaten the freedom and livelihood of Black people into the mid-20th century. Chain gangs are the representation of the evolution of slavery and the value of Black people as means of labor. Like how runaway slaves were sought after, we see Black people who ran away from chain gangs being sought after.

Related Readings

One important aspect of the Rosewood Massacre is how undocumented and difficult to research it is. This is important because it displays the fact that even today, events like these that disparaged minority communities are avoided in media because it is something that people are uncomfortable with, mostly since people do not like to think that there could exist such atrocities in their own country. Because of this, I could only find a couple of books written about the massacre. One such book is The Rosewood Massacre: An Archaeology and History of Intersectional Violence by Edward González-Tennant, who said that his primary goal in writing it is to shed a light on the deep temporal connections between past racial violence and modern social inequality. This book was written in 2018. The other book, Like Judgment Day, written by Michael D’Orso in 1996, was the first written account of the Rosewood Massacre and uncovered many of the secrets surrounding the event. D’Orso said that his book “reveals the real story of the ruined lives, the shattered dreams, the haunting aftermath, and the ultimate hope and resilience of Rosewood’s survivors.” The closest thing to a primary source I could find for the massacre is an interview done by Home Magazine Gainesville with Lizzie Jenkins, whose aunt and uncle were members of the Carrier family. She describes how the pain and shame of the massacre is held in her family for eternity. Reading this interview shows the reader another side to the story that the movie was unable to fully grasp, which is the long-term emotional and psychological effect that the massacre truly has on families that were attacked. It is an effect that cannot be truly understood as an outsider that is only looking in from an unaffected and unharmed standpoint.

1. A brief synopsis of the movie, including its genre (western, horror, etc.) and narrative approach (realist, etc.)

During the midst of the American Civil War three men set out to find buried gold. The three different men set out to find this treasure and this western is full of adventure and thrill. A professional gunslinger, Blondie (The good), who is played by the famous Clint Eastwood is out in the western front trying to make a few bucks pulling in bounties. Angel eyes (The bad) is a hitman that always commits to his objective until the objective is dead. Tuco (The ugly) is a wanted outlaw that tries to make a living with Blondie (The good). The partnership of Tuco and Blondie results in them trying to hunt each other down. After they stumble across a carriage with dead bodies, they learn of a man named Bill Carson. This was significant because they found that Carson had been buried in a cemetery with 200,000 dollars of gold.

2. A critical appraisal of the movie, including its historicity and accuracy. What beliefs, national myths, and histories does it engage, confirm, and/or challenge?

Without a doubt, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is the movie that film buffs think of when someone mentions “western”; this movie doesn’t follow the style of a cookie-cutter spaghetti western, this movie is the cookie cutter. There are elements from this movie that have been taken and implemented into modern media, not just western films, but television of all genres as well, such as the score. This film features some of the most recognizable music in film history; if a TV show or movie needs to emulate some sort of strongman standoff, the main theme by Ennio Morricone will more than likely be used (Oo-ee-oo-ee-oo, wah-WAH-wah…). This film has its own style in the way that object permanence is basically nonexistent with every individual living in the time of the civil war, if something isn’t in the frame of the camera, it simply does not exist. For example, one of the final scenes in the cemetery where Tuco was digging the grave of one Arch Stanton under the supervision of Blondie, they should’ve been able to see Angel Eyes from a mile away since the scene was set in a cemetery in the basin of a few hills, yet they were only able to see him when he threw the extra shovel at the grave towards Tuco and Blondie. Other entrances such as this are very common throughout the entire film. Staying true to history is another thing that this movie does fairly well, though after reading many critical reviews of the film, it must be noted that the scene with the bridge being blown up wouldn’t have been possible from a historical standpoint, as dynamite wasn’t invented until a couple of years after the time that the film is set in. Besides this one little slip-up, the dress, weapons, and architecture are pretty much spot on in terms of accuracy to the times. This movie also shows a snapshot of what the New Mexico Campaign of the Civil War was like from the side of the Confederacy. This campaign was very hard-fought by the south, as the securement of many victorious battles against the Union made them almost successful until the wagon train carrying the majority of their supplies was destroyed by the union. Either way, with the occasional battle shots showing an either even or largely victorious confederate army, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is largely accurate in terms of warfare, besides dynamite. Overall, this film is easily one of the most classic of all classics when it comes to western films, and definitely sets the expectations when it comes to historical accuracy and execution.

3. Suggestions for relevant reading (including at least one primary source) useful in assessing the film’s historicity and an example of what comparing the source to the movie reveals.  

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is set in 1862 in the New Mexico area during the civil war. Throughout the movie Union and Confederate forces are seen and have a large influence on the plot line of the movie. One source that is helpful in providing the background for the movie is an article covering the New Mexico Campaign and The Battle of Glorieta https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/battle-glorieta. A primary source from this time period is a newspaper from the Santa Fe Gazette from 1864, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84022168/1864-09-24/ed-1/seq-1/. Comparing these sources to the movie reveals that the movies depictions of the battles was mostly accurate, but it could be argued that the size and effect of the battles that occurred in the West were over exaggerated in the movie. In “The Battle of Glorieta”, it is explained that many of the battles in the West were with relatively smaller numbers of soldiers and were short lived due to logistical issues presented by the location of the conflicts and the harsh conditions. Overall, the movie provides a mostly accurate depiction of the civil war battles fought in the west, and shows era accurate weapons and clothing.

Synopsis 

The American historical drama miniseries The Good Lord Bird, originally a best-selling novel by James McBride and adapted by Ethan Hawke, follows John Brown, played by Hawke, and his quest for the abolition of slavery. Although Brown was a real historical figure, the miniseries is narrated by a fictional character, Henry Shackleford. Shackleford, played by Joshua Caleb Johnson, is a young, enslaved boy living in the Kansas Territories in 1857.

Shackleford meets Brown after Brown instigates a gunfight with Shackleford’s “master” at his tavern, in which Shackleford’s father is killed. Brown then goes on to “freeing” Shackleford, mistakes him for a girl and calls him Henrietta, before witnessing Shackleford eating Brown’s “lucky onion.” After that, Brown dubs him “Onion.” Shackleford sees little reason to correct the erratic and somewhat frightening white man, so he is fitted with a dress and rather reluctantly continues with Brown during the gory “Bleeding Kansas” conflict that lasted through the late 1850s, when Kansas joined the Union as a Free State.

The show follows Brown and his eccentric crew of abolitionist soldiers as they strive to end slavery. It shows Brown leading the initially successful and then disastrous raid on the US arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859. While the Civil War did not begin until 1861, arguably Brown’s actions put a match to an explosive situation, and made the problem of slavery unavoidable. 

Although Onion is embarrassed to be mistaken for a girl, he quickly adjusts to some of the benefits of his assumed gender: less work, more help, more understanding, etc. From Onion’s perspective, the extremely religious Brown often flirts with the line between righteous reformer and madman. As Brown prepares for his secret mission to Harpers Ferry, the miniseries depicts his faith being disrupted by his doubts that white people will eventually be able to rise above racism, and that African-Americans will come together in a revolution, a revolt he hoped to trigger through his raid. While Onion is swept up in Brown’s exploits, he is also trying to figure out his own identity. 

Both Hawke and McBride add a dark, comic narrative to the original historical account of John Brown and his motley crew, which gives the miniseries an interesting tone and adds subplots that historical films and series don’t often depict. Hawke eloquently, and somewhat humorously, captures a deeply troubling pre-Civil War era and somehow transforms it into a captivating and varied perspective on an extremely traumatic period in American history.

Critical Analysis:

There is a line in the show, The Good Lord Bird that is drawn between what is real and what was dramatized for the show. This is a TV series, and in the first two episodes, the audience can see the accuracy or inaccuracy. The accuracies surround the basic ideas of Brown and the actions that he does. What is sometimes widely dramatized is the actions themselves. There is even a time in the first two episodes where the reasoning is watered down.

Starting at the core of the show is the reasoning behind why Brown started trying to free the slaves is accurate in the show. Brown believed there was an eternal war against slavery that was unjustifiable. This idea is the whole point behind his actions. Then several times in the show Brown clarifies that to end slavery there must be some sort of violence. He would back this claim of violence with scripture from the bible. Though the reasons Brown freed some slaves were accurate, the way he proceeded in the show was somewhat inaccurate.

The scene where Brown raids Doyle’s home has several inaccuracies. To start with, the first inaccuracy was why he was at Doyle’s place. In the show, they make it seem they are there for retribution for Little Onion’s dad. Brown goes on to his son about protecting his sisters, and how he should protect Little Onion too. This was not the reason why Brown killed Doyle or raided his place. In reality, Brown went for Doyle because Doyle was more active in pro-slavery activities than what was stated in the show. The show portrayed Doyle as a man that was not in support of slavery of any type, and he may be even innocent of being killed. Doyle in reality showed through his actions many times he was for slavery.

Watching “The Good Lord Bird” where abolitionist, John Brown, takes a young, newly-freed slave, Little Onion, under his wing all while being so intentional in loudly expressing his disagreement with the slavery system in America, it is understandable how the mini series may be perceived to have some certain White savior undertones in its delivery and overall portrayal. Upon viewing the series it is reasonable for one to critique the accuracy of the series’ content especially with regard to the enthusiasm that so fueled the motivation of John Brown to carry out his plan of bringing an end to slavery as portrayed on screen. While this concern of whether or not John Brown’s true intentions were accurately depicted in the mini series, understanding the fact that John Brown was a man so deeply rooted in his spiritual-religious relationship with the Lord and truly believed that all men were created equal helps us as viewers to properly gauge the validity of the overall manner of John Brown’s character. In the series we see John Brown being excessively nice, compassionate and caring for Little Onion after being partly responsible for the murder of Little Onion’s father. As noted in the series, this was in fact due to the guilt he felt as a result of the unfortunate event. As a viewer, I questioned whether this behavior would have been likely of John Brown from an accurate historical perspective or if this portrayal served to undermine the severity of slavery and make John Brown out to be more likeable than American history would care to let on. However seeing that John Brown was certainly no pacifist and believed that the only way to rid the country of slavery and all other oppressive ideologies was through a means of violence, I would say that The Good Lord Bird mini series did very well in setting the overall mood for understanding the level commitment and dedication John Brown genuinely had to abolishing slavery. 

While the general ideologies of John Brown are accurately presented in this mini series in terms of his overt willingness to enact violence for the sake of true justice, the question of Little Onion’s significance in John Brown’s story is prevalent as well. Historically, while John Brown may not have actually taken a young “girl” under his wing on his mission to free all who were enslaved, what does this choice to include Little Onion’s presence and perspective serve to express about John Brown’s character? What purpose does Little Onion serve overall? I contend that Onion’s presence in the show, while not accurate, serves to make a statement about the level of personal involvement John Brown had in this abolitionist mission. While not all who benefit from the oppressive social system of slavery stand in agreement with said institution, it was not and is not uncommon for an individual to be passive in seeking justice for the oppressed while staying safe and comfortable within the walls of their bubbles of privilege. With that, the portrayal of John Brown taking on the role of caretaker for Little Onion emphasizes a sense of true authenticity with regard to the way John Brown felt towards people in general– all people. Although John Brown may not have taken on the care of a Black child, this depiction speaks to how he viewed all persons to be of value. So, the idea or potentiality of John Brown taking on such a personal role in any Black or Brown person’s life during the slavery time period is not so far fetched. 

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ChI3Yh2uqv0C&oi=fnd&pg=PP13&dq=john+brown+abolitionist&ots=YU3V24AVqF&sig=ofB37uaa8pUtX054cy_ugrlrYcA#v=onepage&q=john%20brown%20abolitionist&f=false

This additional reading entails the life of John Brown and looks at his life as an Abolitionist in the Midwest prior to the Civil War. Written by award winning historian, David S. Reynolds, the book looks into the mind of jOhn Brown and discusses his willingness to kill for what he believed in. While so deeply engrained in the bible and it’s word, we see John Brown go as far as killing people for their involvement in slavery. The book also draws on comparisons with modern day activists and civil rights leaders, looking to find a look into the mind of man so influential on the abolishment of slavery. This book would be recommended for all those who watch the show and are extremely interested in John Brown specifically and the crazy man that he is perceived to be. 

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.2307/2716299

CIVIL WAR KANSAS AND THE NEGRO

This article from the University Chicago dives into the Civil War specifically in Kansas and the fighting that endured. Kansas was known to have been a very radical state when it came to anti-slavery actions and this article goes into depth on this. More specifically, this article is important because it highlights the ideas and actions of African American’s in the Civil War and their reactions toward fighting in the war. It also goes in depth into how the people of Kansas were against slavery like other states, but thought of African Americans as largely inferior to them, and often treated them as such. This article would be ideal for people that want to learn more about African American history, specifically in Kansas, and how they were treated in a state that was anti-slavery during the Civil War. I would also recommend article to those who don’t understand and want to learn more about Kansas and its position on Slavery. 

https://www.kshs.org/publicat/history/1995summer_watts.pdf

How Bloody Was Bleeding Kansas? Political Killings in Kansas Territory, 1854–1861 by Dale E. Watts

This article from the journal, Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains, looks into the events that took time during an era called Bleeding Kansas. Bleeding Kansas is the time frame in which The Good Lord Bird takes place. Bleeding Kansas was one of the key events that led to the abolisment of slavery during the middle of the 1800s. It is a term in US history used to describe the war between those who wanted to abolish slavery and those for slavery. It can also be used to describe the fighting between people of Kansas and Missouri, who had much different views on slavery and the war. This also goes into more depth on the political killings that are seen throughout the series and looks at how many political deaths happened during this era of history in Kansas. I would recommend this article to anyone who found the amount of killings throughout the show and the events that happened in Kansas to be interesting. 

Team Work Duties:

Synopsis: Caryl Gonzalez-Gammon

Critical Appraisal: Aubrey Lackey, Paige Wilcox

Suggested Reading: Brooks Brown

Summary by Alison Mulh:

    Dances With Wolves is a Western film told from the point of view of Lieutenant John Dunbar, portrayed by Kevin Costner. It chronologically follows the life of Lieutenant Dunbar as he is assigned to Fort Sedgwick and arrives to find it abandoned. He forms a close bond with a group of nearby Sioux Indians and eventually assimilates into their tribe. Often there are voice overs that reflect what Dunbar is writing in his journal and provide narration for the events in the movie. His journal is one of the main narrative tools used in the film. Other characters, like Stands With A Fist, Kicking Bird, and Wind In His Hair, are just as important in progressing the story and showing how Dunbar had to earn the trust of the Sioux.

    The film begins with Lieutenant Dunbar on an operating table with an injured leg. Rather than staying for treatment, Dunbar returns to the battlefield where he helps his fellow Union soldiers to win a battle against the Confederates. Dunbar is transferred to Fort Hays where he requests to go to Fort Sedgwick to fulfill his desire to see the frontier. He arrives to find it abandoned, but elects to stay to fix it up. A group of Sioux frequently try to steal his horse, Cisco. Eventually, Dunbar decides to go to the Sioux himself, but on the way finds an injured woman, who he later finds out is called Stands With A Fist.

    The movie continues with meetings between Dunbar and the Sioux where they share parts of their lives with the other and learn to trust one another. Throughout all this, Dunbar keeps a record of their interactions in his journal where he talks of his feelings and frustrations about these meetings. When he wakes one night to the sound of a buffalo herd, Dunbar immediately mounts Cisco and rushes to the Sioux to let them know. He joins the hunt, but when it is over finds himself missing their company. He offers his assistance again when the Pawnee attack, and gives them with the extra guns from Fort Sedgwick.

    John Dunbar, now called Dances With Wolves (after he is seen dancing around a fire with his camp companion, a white wolf called Two Socks) marries Stands With A Fist and agrees to stay with the Sioux he has befriended as they migrate to their winter camp. Before he can leave, he decides to return to the Fort to retrieve his journal only to find it now occupied by Union soldiers. Dunbar, now appearing like an Indian, is taken as a prisoner by the soldiers. Eventually, with the help of the Sioux, he is freed and reunited with Stands With A Fist. The two decide to go off on their own, as Dunbar knows the Army will come after him for the murders of the soldiers. The movie ends with scrolling text on the screen describing how thirteen years later, the last of the free Sioux surrendered, and the life of the American frontier was over.

Critical Appraisal by Jim Hardwick and Eddie Rice:

    The general intent of Dances with Wolves is to provide an often uncomfortable perspective of the history of the United States’ expansion west along the American frontier. Broadly, western films in the past held European settlers as well as American Soldiers in high esteem to justify the significance of America’s destiny to traverse the continent and create a New World. Dances with Wolves does its best to pivot that angle in the opposite direction, shedding light on the reality of the multitude of forces which Native Americans were required to fair against, while also humanizing the people and their lifestyle countering the frequent savagistic depictions. The relationship forged and strengthened between Lieutenant John Dunbar and the nearby Sioux tribe reinforces this alternate portrayal of Natives. Though adolescents of the tribe initially attempt to steal Dunbar’s only horse, when the two parties make official contact an ironclad semblance of trust and respect for each other emerges.

    As the film evolves, John Dunbar becomes a dependable ally and friend to the Sioux people. Once the communication gap is bridged by Stands with a Fist, the friends from different worlds diligently attempt to make sense of the other’s ways of life, as well as their intentions. John Dunbar is reluctant to answer the wave of questions about the imminent movement of white people into their lands, but nonetheless attempts to aid the Native peoples as earnestly as possible, as he grows to be affectionate to the Sioux culture and simplicity of life. Dunbar admires their unwavering commitment to community and family, while resisting material temptations, a trait which is idiosyncratic to the worldview of Anglo-American settlers which are inbound. Settlers felt that this way of life was distasteful, as the dominant view pushing them onto the frontier was the belief that they were not their brother’s keeper and that no one should interrupt the destiny for the ritualistically independent lives they were forging.

    What also adds to the historical accuracy of this film is the way in which Kevin Costner and Michael Blake portray the Sioux tribe in the film as neither a typical depiction of hostile “savages” nor weak, completely peaceful people of the land. The Native Americans as well as their white settler counterparts are humans with both virtues and vices. Native groups fought over land and territory between each other for hundreds of years even before the start of colonisation in the United States. Like their European counterparts, war was a necessary part of life in order to self preservate both their cultures as well as customs. When confronted with simply another group encroaching on their territory, they put forth the same attitudes that historically we know to be accurate of the ways in which Native Americans conducted war. Adding to this, it reinforces some of the ironic reasoning from Dunbar and his colleagues. Dunbar for example listens to and believes for the most part individuals references to the Sioux in this film as “warlike savages”. Furthermore, reinforcing this irony is the fact that Dunbar himself is a soldier of the most “savage” variety, rushing into battle mortally wounded and still continuing to fight in what is also one of the most savage wars in American history.

Suggested Readings by Luke Balizet:

    Unlike some of the other American history movies we have watched this semester, namely, Black Robe, The Crucible, A Quiet Passion, and 12 Years a Slave, Dances with Wolves is not based on any historical person or event, only citing real people, places, and ideas as loose inspirations. Because of this, the tasks of assessing the historicity of Dances with Wolves as well as researching the true-to-life elements of the film are rendered less than trivial compared to the previous movies mentioned. Nonetheless, the function of creating a tight canon of related historical works and modern assessments relating to the subjects of Dances with Wolves remains critical in the assessment of the film as a whole and as a vessel on the journey towards true understanding (if there even is such a thing). We will describe several sources that we believe deserve a position in this canon.

Source #1: Memories of an Indian Boyhood by Charles Eastman

    Charles Eastman (1858–1939) was a Sioux physician famous for his 20th century writings on the Native American experience in America. Eastman was born and raised in the Santee Dakota culture and subsequently integrated into white American society, being educated at Dartmouth College and Boston University. Eastman traveled to South Dakota after his education to work and practice for the Bureau of Indian Affairs at both the Pine Ridge and Crow Creek Reservations. His claim to fame were his first-hand accounts and written experiences of his Sioux upbringing and his American-educated life in the larger white society. He was considered a contemporary expert on Indian affairs and culture and wrote over 10 books. The particular book we are interested in as it relates to Dances with Wolves is his childhood memoir Memories of an Indian Boyhood. In this book, Ohiyesa (Eastman) recounts the first fifteen years of his life as a Dakota Sioux in the late 19th century, almost exactly when Dances with Wolves takes place. The book covers everything from the mundane, day-to-day activities of his people all the way to the direct existential threats of the American military and the impending railroads. This first-hand account of life as a Sioux provides deep insight into the idiosyncrasies of the Sioux and acts as an indirect guide from an acclaimed expert as to what Dances with Wolves did and did not get right in regards to Sioux culture. In contrast to most primary sources of the time, this source is not from the perspective of a white person and because of this, it is probably in the vein of the most important source to critically analyze Dances with Wolves with.

Source #2: Five Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri by Edwin Thompson Denig

    Edwin Thompson Denig (1812–1858) was a white, American fur trader who worked primarily in the “upper Missouri”. Denig headed the American Fur Company’s post at Fort Union, where he was also married to the daughter of an Assiniboine chief and wrote extensively about the Plains Indians of the surrounding areas. Perhaps his most famous work, Five Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri records Denig’s first-hand observations of Sioux, Arickaras, Assiniboines, Crees, and Crows customs and culture. Denig is considered an important ethnographer of the Plains Indians, and although an outside, white observer, his recordings remain an invaluable resource in the historical documentation of these peoples’ ways and cultures. Being a fur trader, questions of bias towards economic gain are rightfully warranted when reading such accounts, but the critical examination of how this work sees American Indians is an excellent companion to the exact same examination in Dances with Wolves.

Source #3: Hollywood’s Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film by Various Authors

    The previous 2 sources we have examined are primary sources from the era in which Dances with Wolves takes place—one written by a Sioux Indian and the other written by a white fur trader—but the following source is a departure from this pattern of primary sources, shedding some modern light and interpretation on the film industry’s long history with Native Americans. Hollywood’s Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film is a 2011 collection of essays by 17 scholars discussing the history of the portrayal of Native Americans in film. Whereas Eastman and Denig’s first-hand accounts help us critically analyze the specific historicity of Dances with Wolves and perhaps some of its historical prejudices, Hollywood’s Indian is less concerned with micro-level historical accuracy and more concerned with a macro-level analysis of the film industry as a whole using specific examples such as Dances with Wolves. One aspect of Dances with Wolves specifically that the collection rightfully points out is that the film may be considered a Revisionist Western and be one of the first large scale portrayals of American Indians as whole people—kind, humorous, loving, awkward, violent, deeply flawed, etc.—but at the end of the day, its protagonist is still a white male, who could be seen as a “white savior”. What does this say about us as a society and how we see the Sioux people? It’s not enough to know the history of an event or people, we also have to understand how that event or people has been portrayed historically and what that says about the portrayers and portrayees. Hollywood’s Indian provides much needed insight into this complex discussion.

Chloe Zhao’s 2017 film The Rider stars Brady Jandreu as modern day cowboy Brady Blackburn. The cast, mostly made up of Native American actors, had little to no previous film experience. But the authenticity and raw emotion from these actors was second to none. This feature will take the audience into the mind of a conflicted young man trying to find his purpose in the world. Loosely based on the life of Jandreu, The Rider begs the question, what is really important in life?

Synopsis(Andy Segerman)

The Rider is a modern day western drama about a young Native American man named Brady Blackburn. Brady is a rising rodeo star until he is sidelined with a bad head injury after one of his rides. Brady tries desperately to fill the void in his life during his long recovery but can’t come to terms with the fact he may never ride again. His best friend Lane Scott (played by himself) serves as a daily reminder to him of what he has to lose. Lane was tragically injured in a car accident that left him severely brain damaged and crippled. Brady believes he was born to be a cowboy so he won’t give up. Just when things are looking up for him, Brady starts to have some more head issues as he had rushed his recovery a bit. He is unable to fully control his right hand due to some neurological issues. Brady won’t give up and with the support of his friends and family remains focused on one thing, getting back on that horse. The Rider follows Brady on his challenging journey back on the saddle. Through several odd jobs and medical roadblocks he finds his opportunity back to rodeo life. But after everything he’s been through will he take it? Watch Chloe Zhao’s masterpiece The Rider to find out.

The Rider is a first person narrative through Brady Blackburns eyes. The audience gets a first hand look at the struggle Brady goes through when his whole world is taken away. We get to see how Brady develops and matures throughout the movie and finds new motivations in life. This film should be considered a drama with slight western undertones. While it isn’t a conventional western, it’s a great example of the modern cowboy and the trials and tribulations Brady faces.

A major theme in The Rider is, as Brady’s father Wayne puts it, playing the cards you were dealt. Brady was dealt with a head injury that could kill him if hit again. This should prevent him from riding again; however, Brady is too determined to give up his passion. Using the poker metaphor, it is like going all in hoping that the last card flipped up is the one you need. Brady is constantly shown what can happen if you don’t fold through his friend Lane Scott. He was a very good horseback rider who also suffered a head injury, but his injury left him in a wheelchair. In the end, Brady realises that he can’t keep riding and folds.

Critical Appraisal

Setting and Lifestyle (Sam Latshaw 1&2) (Jill Klepzig 3&4)

The Rider gives an accurate portrayal of life in a reservation. The movie takes place in present day South Dakota on an indian reservation. It depicts it as a ranching centric community that is poor. If characters weren’t working in a grocery store, they were most likely at the rodeo or working with horses. This is accurate to what an indian reservation would be like in South Dakota. The main group of Native Americans that live in the northern plains are the Sioux. They have a very horse-centric community, which is shown in the film.

The Rider also depicts the reservation as poor, run-down, and sort of neglected. There are many scenes that have dim, fluorescent lighting that makes it look similar to movies with a setting in an urban back alley, sort of like scenes in 8 Mile. It also depicts the father as an alcoholic gambler that can’t save a dime. This type of character is very common in movies about being in tough situations. This fits with the historicity of indian reservations. They were exploited and constantly pressured to move out. This hurt the Sioux and is a reason why indian reservations are the way they are.

In the country, it’s very popular to participate (either involved or just watching) in rodeo. It’s something people look forward to, a place to hang out and enjoy company while watching people try to hang on to a horse as long as possible. In the movie we see how much Brady loved the game and how he won’t let anything get in the way of it. The history of the town and of the ways of the country are being carried with rodeo, since it’s been happening for decades. Carrying on the sport shows how much it matters and that it won’t go away anytime soon because of the amount of attention it gets. Being a rider they experience a thrill along with pressure from family and friends. All together, the history of this sport will long live through the riders and the fans who stick by it.

The relationship a horse has with his owner is an unbreakable relationship when there’s trust between them. In the movie we see how much they care about the horses and how much attention/affection they get. Throughout time Indians and many different tribes depended on their horses to get places and formed relationships and had them for life. This is still being followed to this day and as seen in the movie. When you form a relationship with a horse and click with them because you’ve been by their side for years, some owners mention how it feels like you know exactly what their feeling and it’s reciprocated right back. In the movie we see the caring of a horse, as we’ve seen in many other movies/in past time. 

Myths Challenged (Sam Latshaw 1) (Jill Klepzig 2)

One myth challenged in The Rider is that of the “disappearing Indian.” This myth believes that Native Americans are a dying breed and that they and their culture is “disappearing.” That is disproven in the movie. It shows that many cultural aspects are kept. One thing that is common throughout the movie is prayers. Many of these are, or at least sound like Native American prayers. Sometimes, there is a prayer that is a mix between Native American culture and christianity. There is also the culture around horses that hasn’t died out over time.

There’s a specific stereotype of what people think of when they think of native Americans. People typically lead toward a darker complexion and longer hair from other movies shown and previous pictures they may have seen, and in museums. In the movie we gather some hints that Brady and others may be Native American, even though he may not look like the exact Native American stereotype. We catch an insight when we see Brady being a cowboy in the opening scene, and some other parts in the movie that others may have missed. This myth of Indians’ image doesn’t define you or your way of living, as it doesn’t define Brady or his image because he’s proud of who he is and loves what he’s doing.

Primary Source (Riley Ries)

Ranching culture is extremely important in the film The Rider. Throughout the film we follow Brady, whose identity is wrapped up in the rodeo and ranching scene. After his accident he feels lost and struggles with finding out who he is and what he is meant to do. Brady, however, does not give up on his dreams about being a cowboy and persists through all of his hardships. This leads me to relevant reading and sources. When Native Americans faced the reality of colonization, they had to find a way to integrate into society. The ranching and entertainment industry played a huge role in their new traditions of life. Rodeo culture plays a huge role in keeping Native traditions alive, whether it be the costumes, rituals, or the controlled hunting skills that are put on display for many audiences. Some may even say that rodeos are a great learning tool to educate about Native American culture. Below are two great primary sources (one is a museum exhibit, the other, a journal article). They both explore how Native Americans use rodeos to keep their traditions alive and how they have impacted their society. Although the Legend of Our Times exhibit is no longer up for display, there is still some great information in the preview. The most interesting part of the JSTOR Article to me was the explanation for horse skills. They mention that there are many different methods that Natives use for “breaking” horses. This is directly reflected in The Rider when we see Brady and his father get into an argument about the correct way to break the horses. 

Dyck, Ian. “DOES RODEO HAVE ROOTS IN ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITIONS?” Plains Anthropologist, vol. 41, no. 157, 1996, pp. 205–219. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25669405. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25669405 

Civilization.ca – Legends of our times – Native ranching and Rodeo life on plains and plateau. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/rodeo/rodeo01e.html

https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/rodeo/rodeo01e.html

Wind River Trailer

Synopsis of Plot

Wind River, directed by Taylor Sheridan, is a Western Murder Mystery Film based on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. The movie starts out with the main character Cody Lambert, who is a Fish and Wildlife Service Agent, finding a young 18-year-old girl dead in the wilderness, barefoot and without proper clothing in the Wyoming winter. The FBI is called, and Agent Jane Banner shows up to work on the case. Between Banner, Cody, and Ben (Tribal Police Chief) they figure out the girl’s name is Natalie, and she was recently at an oil rig drill site with her new boyfriend Matt Rayburn. They also find out that she died of Pulmonary Hemorrhage, a condition where the lungs freeze up due to cold weather and they essentially explode killing the person. Banner later finds out that a similar incident left Cody’s daughter dead three years prior, making Cody feel responsible for finding the person who did this to Natalie.

The three of them visit Natalie’s parents to try and find information about the murder and suspect. Jane Banner gets cultured shocked by the Native American culture that is before her and goes silent. Cody tells Natalie’s father, Martin, that he will make whoever did this pay for it.

Cody and Banner do some more exploring in the woods following snow mobile tracks and come across Matt Rayburn’s body in the snow with wounds showing like he is beaten. A decision is made to have Cody continue to follow the tracks while, Banner and Police Chief Ben visit the drilling camp, where they are met by some cautious looking workers. Tension is running high between the two sides as both have their guns drawn. The viewer at this point is puzzled as to why the tensions are high. They get to the modular where Matt was staying and knock on the door.

The film then goes into a flashback. It shows Natalie and Matt having a loving relationship in the modular, and then four drunk rig security workers entering the modular. One guy, Pete, tries to become sexual with Natalie, prompting Matt to engage with Pete by beating him up. The other three guys then turn on Matt and beat him while Pete rapes her. Matt eventually gets to Pete and takes him to the ground, long enough for Natalie to get away and run barefoot out into the snow. The four guys then beat Matt to death.

Back to the original storyline, Cody finds that the tracks from Matt’s body lead to the drill rig sight, and radios Chief Ben to warn him. At the exact same time, a shotgun is shot through the door at agent Banner wounding her. An all-out gunfight is fought between the guards and officers in a close-range battle. The guards finish off Chief Ben and the rest of the officers before turning to Agent Banner to kill her, however Cody comes in and takes out the remaining guards with his sniper rifle, saving her life. Pete gets away and Agent Banner tells Cody to go after him.

Upon capturing Pete, Cody takes him up to a Ridgeline in the mountains. He gets Pete to confess to raping and killing Natalie and Matt, and then tells him he is free to leave. Pete, having no shoes and minimal clothing, takes off running only to make it 600 yards and collapsing due to Pulmonary Hemorrhage. This is good karma working its magic as Pete dies the same way Natalie does. The movie ends with Cody and Martin sharing a moment of grief talking about their daughters and how they miss them.

Before the credits roll, the film shows a series of words that say there is no recording data of missing Native American girls. This film is supposed to depict this and raise awareness for Native American girls. This makes the movie have a realist approach as it draws real-life experiences with the power of getting people aware of certain circumstances regarding Native American girls.

Wind River is a fictional film that is about detectives solving the murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation after a girl from the tribe was raped and murdered. Even though this story is not directly based on a true story, it still presents relevant information that is applicable to other cases surrounding missing and murdered Natives. The director, Taylor Sheridan wanted to put a light on the topic as it is a common occurrence in the Native community and does not get the attention which needs to be a priority of law enforcement.

The setting of the film did well to represent the terrain and landscape that the tribes live on the reservation. The Wind River reservation is in western Wyoming and spans for over 2 million acres. The tribes were pushed into this corner back in the 19^th century and have had to deal with the situation ever since. This aspect of the film shows the harsh environment that these tribes already live in. The way that the first woman was murdered in this movie was by her running away from a rapist and freezing to death.

This community is heavily impacted by abuse, poverty, drug addiction, alcoholism however due to the nature of their culture, how Native Americans live on their own accord and are almost outcasted by society, no one notices. “It’s based on thousands of actual stories just like it,” is what Sheridan told National Public Radio. His goal was to showcase the horrific events that happen within the community that do not get put on the front page of the news. One quote that is very touching from this film that I believe encapsulates the true message of the movie is at the very end. “While missing person statistics are compiled for every other demographic, none exist for Native American women.” This calls out and recognizes the fact Native culture is not appreciated to the point that the we are not even sure how many have gone missing.

Sheridan had researchers dive into this topic for months and were not able to configure a statistic. Sheridan looked at this as its own statistic and knew it was his duty to bring these tragedies to light. The story of this film is telling of how the Native American community is treated. The way that lambert in the film brings the murdered Native American up to authorities and they seem to not care is truly telling of how Natives are treated in society today. In my opinion I feel that Sheridan is challenging people to be more aware of the tragedies that happen within the Native community and should not be ostracized from society for the way they live their lives. Statistically, 84% of Native American and Alaskan Native women have experienced violence of some sort; 56% have experienced sexual violence.

The fact that women in the native community are more likely to face both violence and more specifically sexual violence than not shows a glaring issue among the community and there should be an emphasis on their safety from the law enforcement in their areas. This along with the fact that there are no statistics on missing women in the community shows why. The detriment that Natives have faced along with the lack of recognition on this topic is the reason that I believe Sheridan created this movie and I believe that he did a good job on representing this topic on a grand stage.

Suggestions for Relevant Reading

1 in 3 American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped, but survivors rarely find justice on tribal lands(USATODAY)

Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/18/native-american-women-sexual-assault-justice-issue-tribe-lands/3996873002/

Native American women speak out about sexual assault and violence(NBC Left Field)

Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/leftfield/video/native-american-women-speak-out-about-sexual-violence-1134025795618

(Rape survivor Caroline)

In the short but very impactful six minute NBC sponsored documentary, the viewers are given an insight into the very lives of Native women affect by the ever present violent and sexual assault culture. The video speaks on two women’s experiences, but their stories honestly reach back decades. Caroline tells her story going as far back as the age of six years old. Not only was Caroline experiencing this assault from one person but five different people. In the case of Caroline’s story her trauma was domestic, being assaulted by 5 distant relatives. Like many others Caroline was scared to tell because she was never educated on the topic, and blamed her parents for not making her more aware. However, at the time of her attacks“… there were no words for it. Their best way at the time was to be silent, and not bring attention to yourself, because then you might get hurt worse,”. This fear to come forward is an issue of many native women, because in the above article there are complications within the justice system and they are fearful their situation will only get worse

The video claimed that “ The old official statistics from the United States Department of Justice were that one in three American Indian/Alaskan Native women were survivors of sexual violence”. However, according to more recent information by the federal government it is more like 50% are survivors. Even more shocking if community officials were asked they answered somewhere between 80%-90%. So while the case in Wind River it was not a specific relevant event it is based on the hundreds of thousands of real sexual assault and violence cases against indigenous women, and this is what the director sought to expose, doing so quite accurately.

 

Team Work Duties:

Synopsis of Plot  – Written by Will Gase

Critical Appraisal of Harriet – Written by Carson Knabe and Austin Dues

Suggestions for Relevant Reading – Written by Julia Cashwell

Final Editor and Post Creator – Austin Dues

 

 

 

The movie Harriet, directed by Kasi Lemmons and written by Gregory Allen Howard, was released in November of 2019. It stars Cynthia Erivo as Harriet who received two Oscar nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and Best Original Song.  This 2 hour and 5-minute movie had us all on the edge of our seats as we watched and waited as Harriet saught her freedom and eventually brought others to freedom as well. This movie does highlight her journey to freedom and involvement in the Underground Railroad, but it should be known she made substantial efforts to help the Women’s Suffrage Movement and aided Civil War efforts as well.

Synopsis of Plot

Harriet is a historical drama film that takes place around the 1840s and closely examines the life of Harriet Tubman, who is most famously known for freeing slaves while working as a “conductor” for the Underground Railroad. The film begins in Maryland in the 1840s and when Harriet, who at the time was named Araminta “Minty” Ross, was married to a recent freedman, John Tubman. The movie begins with Minty and John confronting their slave master, Edward Brodess about how they hired a lawyer to review an old will that stated that Minty’s mother, Rit, was supposed to be freed by the age of 45. Mr. Brodess chose to ignore his grandfather’s wishes to free Rit and tore up the will that Minty had shown him. Shortly after this incident, Mr. Brodess dies and his son, Gideon, puts Minty up for sale. This prompted Minty to run away and attempt to seek freedom in the North, specifically Pennsylvania. Once Minty successfully escapes and reaches Pennsylvania, which was a 100-mile journey, she finds William Still and Marie Buchanon, who provide her shelter in Pennsylvania. Mr. Still later asks Minty a series of questions regarding Minty’s life as a slave and asks her if she wants to make a new name for herself. This is where Minty changes her name officially to Harriet Tubman. Once she becomes somewhat acclimated into her life in Pennsylvania, she returns to her old plantation and helps bring other slaves in the Brodess household to freedom. Due to her success in freeing 9 slaves on the plantation, she is then recruited by Mr. Still to work as a conductor for the Underground Railroad. After her recruitment, the film continues to show Harriet’s success in freeing slaves in the South and later briefly shows her involvement in both the Civil War and women’s suffrage. 

Harriet is considered to be a historical drama film, due to the film being mostly historically accurate, but like most historical films, it sacrifices some of its historicity for dramatic effect and entertainment purposes. The narrative style of Harriet is set in the first person, from the perspective of Harriet Tubman throughout the movie’s entirety. This narrative style allows the audience to truly gain insight into the effect that enslavement had on an individual, especially in terms of their mental and physical health. This narrative style also gives the audience more perspective in terms of how the Underground Railroads worked and how Harriet became involved in freeing slaves throughout her lifetime. There was no outside narrator in the film, but in some instances, there was some subtitle text that stated the time and place a certain event happened in the movie, such as the subtitle text toward the end of the film where Harriet’s accomplishments outside of her involvement in the Underground Railroads is summarized.

Critical Appraisal of Harriet

The film Harriet engages in history about the Underground Railroad and slavery during the 1800s. It follows the journey of Harriet Tubman, one of the most important figures in the American abolishment movement who escapes slavery and helps numerous others reach freedom. Despite minor divergences from actual history, the film does a fairly accurate job at depicting the events of Harriet’s life and her involvement in the Underground Railroad.

The film dives immediately into her journey towards Philadelphia, one which takes her 100 miles. The film states this accurately and depicts true events from her journey, such as the scene where she stretches her hands out towards the sun as she crosses the Pennsylvania border. After she reaches freedom, the movie accurately depicts how Harriet went back to Maryland for her loved ones and found her husband remarried. It also does a good job showing the complexity of documenting the history of slavery through William Still and his effort to record former slaves’ experiences and family lineage. The scene of him writing down “possible brain damage” instead of directly transcribing Tubman’s words reveals how much record keepers have the power to shape history. Other historically accurate aspects of the film include Harriet’s use of pistols, her godly visions, and the overall depiction of slavery in the 1800s.  According to one of the class lectures, there was a hardening of the slave system after the revolution and people believed slave owner’s rights to property trumped the rights of enslaved people. Militias in the south policed slavery rather than engaging in outside threats, and we see this in the film based on the slave owners’ dedication to capture Harriet.

Although much of Harriet is historically accurate, there exists a handful of instances where it strays from facts. The film invented three main characters that never existed in real life: Gideon Brodess, Marie Buchanan, and Bigger Long. It also shows members of the Underground Railroad having lavish social gatherings in secret headquarters under Philadelphia streets, events that doubtfully happened. These small divergences from historical records help dramatize the film and enhance the narrative. However, with the film diving into Harriet’s journey so quickly, the audience lacks context to understand the cues and symbols of the Underground Railroad. Besides the assumption that the audience knows the importance of work songs and familiarity with nature as a runaway slave, the artistic choices the director makes in Harriet do not undermine its value.

Suggestions for Relevant Reading

Kathleen Lawrence, Harriet, Journal of American History, Volume 107, Issue 1, June 2020, Pages 278–280

• Link: Harriet | Journal of American History | Oxford Academic 
• Link: Ohio State Library link (if above link doesn’t work) https://journals-ohiolink-edu.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/apexprod/rws_ejcsearch/r/1507/99?p99_entity_id=289522955&p99_entity_type=MAIN_FILE&cs=3a4xFtYyvyh1nhKkuA7eiZKJG3jn6Y_Mr0qLA0r-IrLTBThQ897EO773qSHd4B0EIaUfHXeKZbzPiMaR36N9xOw 

This primary source in the American History Journal is a Movie Review on Harriet, in which the author addresses some historical inaccuracies and includes a brief comparative analysis of the film to other African American biographical-drama films like Steve McQueens’s 12 years a Slave. This graphically violent film, unlike Harriet, had shown the violent parts of slavery such as whippings, rape, and mutilation. Although viewers are shielded from those images in Harriet, we still see the scars on Harriet’s back when she undresses to bathe in Marie’s boarding house, and we see similar scars on the backs of other slaves as well.

Aside from these sorts of comparisons, the movie review also reveals some historical inaccuracies that would most likely not have been known to the general audience. This includes the invention of characters like Gideon Brodess, who was the son of Eliza, and Edward Bodress, who had existed as their son named Jonathan, but there is not much more known about him. The filmmakers had also created the character of Harriet’s friend Marie Buchanon, who was the free woman that lived in Philadelphia who owned the boardinghouse that supported newly freed slaves as they integrated into their new lives. Lastly, the mean and ruthless character of Bigger Long, who aided Gideon as an African American slave catcher was also invented. The article speculates that African American slave catchers like Bigger Long did exist, however realistically speaking it was very dangerous to be a free black slave in the south at that time as there was a constant fear that you can lose your freedom at any moment and be sold back onto slavery. Another inaccuracy pointed out in this primary source was the impact of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. In the film, we see Harriet is living in Philadelphia when she learns about the newly passed law that permitted the capture of runaway slaves to be returned to the South and it called up for bystanders to assist in the capture of runaways. However, in the movie, they’d ‘dramatized the suddenness of the law passage when Harriet is living free in Philadelphia’. In the movie we see the impact the law unfolds at a time when Harriet had already returned to save several dozen slaves including her brothers when in actuality the effect of the new Slave Act would have been in effect shortly after Harriet arrived in Philadelphia in 1849. This means the Slave Act would have been in effect when Harriet returned to Maryland the first time for her husband, which would have made her trip exponentially riskier. Nevertheless, the article did a great job providing a comprehensive review of the film and providing great insight on some details of inaccuracies that most of us would have overlooked otherwise.

Sarah Hopkins Bradford, Harriet, the Moses of Her People (1886)

• Link: The Project Gutenberg eBook of Harriet, by Sarah H. Bradford. 
• Link: Additional reference mentioned for the example  Summary of Harriet, the Moses of Her People

A useful source on the film’s historicity would be Sarah Hopkins Bradford’s ‘Harriet, the Moses of Her People. As we had seen in the film, Harriet was illiterate and therefore could not have produced any of her own literature on her life story, so it was decided that Sarah Bradford would be a great fit. The first edition of the book, Scenes in the life of Harriet Tubman was compiled in 1869, however in 1886 Tubman requested Bradford to write a second edition; Harriet, the Moses of Her People. Tubman had high hopes that the funds from the second edition to her biography can fund a hospital for elderly and disabled colored people (pg.78).

Director Kasi Lemmons and screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard have shared how this edition of the book was used as a reliable source of information when creating the film Harriet, and by reading this book we can compare how they transformed the words to the screen. Aside from that, we recognize just how insightful the book is to Harriet’s life, for it is written by a person that was a trusted writer and friend. However, some criticism still exists on Bradford’s writing about Harriet’s life, as she chooses to adopt a more poetic approach when writing the bibliography. Writer Zach Hutchins provides an example of this poetic narrative that Bradford adopted in his summary of the book:

“For example, Bradford begins Harriet by asking readers to imagine “a hot summer’s day, perhaps sixty years ago,” when “a group of merry little darkies were rolling and tumbling in the sand in front of the large house of a Southern planter,” while Tubman, “darker than any of the others, and with a more decided wooliness in the hair” sits “[a]part from the rest of the children, on the top rail of a fence, holding tight on to the tall gate post” (p. 13)

It is understood that Bradford had written the bibliography in this manner to provide a much clearer and more chronological narrative of Harriet’s life, which was not fully captured in the first edition (Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman).  By reading this book you can grasp a much better picture of a large part of Harriet’s life as it provides a great historical background to the astounding women, and it introduced a much heavier emphasis on Harriet’s religiosity. We capture in the movie how important Harriet’s faith is, and how she relied on God to help her escape Slavery and then aiding her in guiding dozens of other slaves to freedom. However, in the book, we read her prayers and praises, which depicted the strength of her faith and how it led her in life. “God had a great work for her to do in the world, and the discipline and hardship through which she passed in her early years, were only preparing her for her afterlife of adventure and trial;” (Bradford, 16)

Nevertheless, we should recognize this biography as a unique account of an author who had interacted with Tubman and was personally entrusted by her to write this biography. I believe the book had also done a nice job capturing the role Harriet, and others in the Underground Railroad organization had as African Americans adopted an active role in the anti-slavery and abolitionist movement.

Harriet Tubman — A legacy of Resistance

• Link: Harriet Tubman: A Legacy of Resistance

An especially great resource I had found while researching was an article written by Janell Hobson in the Duke University Press, Harriet Tubman: A Legacy of Resistance. The main focus of this article was addressing how “Harriet’s contribution to gender liberation is often unnoticed and unrecognized”. We recognize her for her bravery and dedication, and we are also quite familiar with Tubeman’s journey as she joined the Underground Railroad and even participated in the armed resistance against the forces of Slavery, which was all depicted in the film. However, Harriet’s role and involvement in the feminist movement are often overlooked. For example, it is not widely known that she had attended the founding conventions of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in 1896, in which she spoke of her own life during the Civil war and the work she had done. She had also participated in the conversation at the convention that spoke on the existing past and present forces of black women resistance during that era. This was especially important at that time as the NACW sought to unify black women organizations around the country as an effort to solidify in power against the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court ruling earlier in May of that year (pg 3). An especially critical aspect of the article I would suggest reading is the problematic nature in which contemporary audiences have a difficult time grasping “Tubman’s story beyond historical inaccuracies, gaps, and silences in her life history, and stock stereotypes of enslaved black women” (pg 2) A 2013 symposium organized by the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University at Albany further encouraged conversations to be held and conducted a local tour in which they visited several safe-houses, and sites of where Tubman made daring escapes in as she worked diligently towards creating networks in the anti-slavery movement.

The article continues to argue that Harriet Tubman has been placed in a sort of paradox in which she remains recognized for her life as an African American woman who escaped slavery on her own and then chose to continuously risk her life to return and save those that remained. She’s also commemorated for her work in the Civil War as she worked for the Union army as a nurse and even a spy. The paradox is created whenever she is overlooked or ignored for her extensive work in the women’s suffrage movement. Aside from attending the NACW convention, Tubman attended a women’s suffrage meeting like the one held in Rochester, New York in November 1896. Here she spoke about her role as a conductor on the Underground railroad and she shared proudly, “I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger”. She led with this story to argue how her dangerous role as a conductor led her to “transgress raced and gendered limitations”. She continues to say that she had done all of the travelings between the North and South along with the journey to Canada without the help of a man, which should surely support the deserved right for women to vote and gain full citizenship (pg 4). However, in contemporary women’s studies, there remains a gaping hole noting Tubman and how she advocated for women’s rights, especially of African American women. Conclusively to this article, I believe that the author had addressed appropriately the lack of intersectional analysis in feminist scholars, and how Tubman’s absence “reflects the intersectionality of multiple oppressions” (pg 5) and how it should be vital to address issues of race, class, and gender simultaneously.

Team Work Duties:

Synopsis of Plot  – Written by McKenna Cartt

Critical Appraisal of Harriet – Written by Julie Campean

Suggestions for Relevant Reading – Written by Lisa Kassa

Final Editor and Post Creator – Caleb Richardson

Citations for Critical Appraisal of Harriet:

• Bell, Richard. “Harriet.” New York History, vol. 101 no. 1, 2020, p. 172-173. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/nyh.2020.0021.
• Bouknight, Ashley. Review of Harriet dir. by Kasi Lemmons. The Public Historian, vol. 42 no. 3, 2020, p. 149-151. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/766486.
• Marszalek, John F. “Harriet Tubman.” Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2019. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=88807115&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Citation for 1st Relevant Reading: 

• Lawrence, Kathleen. “Harriet.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 1 June 2020, doi.org/10.1093/jahist/jaaa167

Citations for 2nd Relevant Reading: 

• Summary of Harriet, the Moses of Her People, docsouth.unc.edu/neh/harriet/summary.html.
• “HARRIET.” The Project Gutenberg EBook of Harriet, by Sarah H. Bradford., www.gutenberg.org/files/9999/9999-h/9999-h.htm.

Citation for 3rd Relevant Reading:

• Hobson, Janell. “Harriet Tubman: A Legacy of Resistance.” Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, Duke University Press, 7 Nov. 2014, muse.jhu.edu/article/558781.

Lizzie (2018) Trailer

Synopsis 

Lizzie is sort of a slasher/thriller film portraying the actual events of Lizzie Borden and a series of trials accusing her of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. The movie was recently released, in 2018, and attracted an audience with a heavy emphasis on psychological thrills and big names Kristen Stewart and Chloe Sevigny. Lizzie, Sevigny, is a 32 year old woman living in Massachusetts with her father, stepmother, and sister, and there it becomes clear very early on that her father is abusive and extremely controlling. The family brings in a maid named Bridget Sullivan, Stewart, and Lizzie quickly forms a close relationship with her. The relationship with Bridget seems as an escape to Lizzie as opposed to her commandeering parents. The film becomes quite disturbing as Lizzie learns that her stepmother will acquire her father’s namesake instead of her and her sister, and the audience is shown the violent and abusive nature of her father. The relationship with Bridget and Lizzie becomes romantic, and Lizzie’s father forbids this. After another thrilling series of events, Lizzie’s father and stepmother are found bludgeoned with an axe, and Lizzie is charged with the murders and sent to jail. The film reveals that Lizzie and Bridget did, in fact, plan to murder Lizzie’s parents, but due to Bridget’s fear and inability to carry it out, Lizzie ultimately murdered them both with an axe. Lizzie ends up being acquitted from the murders, but news of what had happened was inescapable, and Lizzie lives the rest of her life alone as Bridget chose to leave her. The director of Lizzie, Craig William Macneill, utilizes techniques to make the movie psychologically horrifying in order to make the film enticing. This, whether intentional or a by-product, gives the audience a serious feeling of empathy for Lizzie, particularly when Lizzie is served her pet pigeons roasted for dinner, or when her father sexually assaults Bridget. Also, as many historical tales do in early American times, the film juggles themes of patriarchy and can become quite infuriating when thinking about how Lizzie was being oppressed. True to being a thriller, the tone of the movie is constant anticipation, and a tense-ness as if you were in that family home, executed by everyone especially the acting and cameramen.

Critical Appraisal 

The 2018 adaptation of the Lizzie Borden story directed by Craig Macneil is a historical piece based on the 1892 murders of the Borden family, specifically Lizzie’s father and stepmother. The film depicts the less than perfect life that Lizzie leads and showcases the family difficulties. These difficulties include keeping Lizzie from obtaining her wealth after her father passes on, living with no lighting and plumbing despite having access to it, being a bit older and still living at home and the actions her father took without consulting or caring for her thoughts and feelings.  Yet, multiple aspects of the film are left in question of the historical accuracy. That being said, the question of Lizzie’s sexuality and her personal romantic relationships are brought to mind. The 2018 film depicts Lizzie to have a Lesbian relationship with the families maid alongside a non consensual relationship of the maid and father. The discovery of said romantic relationship is said to have caused Mr. Borden to murder Lizzie’s pigeons and cook them for the families dinner. While all moves would indicate an anger in Lizzie that could cause murderous tendencies, the historical accuracy is still in question. While the murder was never truly solved and Lizzie later died of pneumonia, it is commonly believed that Lizzie did in-fact murder her father and step mother due to many disagreements in their household. The biggest difference between the common Lizzie Borden story and that of the 2018 film adaptation would be the romantic relationship that Lizzie held with Maggie. All thoughts considered, the movie did a great job showcasing the history of the Lizzie borden story and can be considered a great source of historical information. A review written by notorious Roger Ebert states in relation to the romantic interest of the movie, “Stewart has the smaller role in “Lizzie,” but she dominates the screen, without any effort or pushing. The two actresses work well together, though, creating a palpable sense of desire, and there are some nice touches like the two women handing love notes to one another as they pass on the stairs, afraid to speak out loud in a hostile environment. But the script shovels in so much else – shady finances, pigeon murder, evil stepmothers – that “forbidden lesbian love” becomes just one more item on a very long list.”. (Ebert, R. (2018, September 18). Roger Ebert. Retrieved March 21, 2021, from https://www.rogerebert.com/). He comments on the unnecessary need for the romantic relationship as it dilutes the focus of the Lizzie Borden story. 

Relevant Readings 

Joseph Conforti’s book gives a wonderful timeline of the Borden murders. He also emphasizes the “mystery” around the horrific killings and from what I can tell this is where the movie Lizzie speculates the relationship between Lizzie and Bridget comes from. Conforti hints to the murderer needing several outfits, an accomplice, or perhaps was nude. This is evident in the film as both Lizzie and Bridget did strip down to commit the murders. Bridget could not go through with it so Lizzie stepped in. 

Lizzie and Bridget’s relationship is also just speculation as well as the abuse by Mr. Borden. However, the filmmaker uses this forbidden relationship as motive for the women to commit the murders. Given the era, and women’s lack of autonomy, I expect there would not be a lot of evidence confirming this relationship. 

The book aligns with several scenes in the movie, such as, Bridget washing the windows and vomiting. The movie attributes her weak stomach to the murder but the book hints toward food poisoning from Mr. Borden’s frugal spending. Again, this shows the liberties the filmmaker took with the historical facts in framing or editing them in a different context. 

Conforti, Joseph A. Lizzie Borden on Trial: Murder, Ethnicity, and Gender. University Press of Kansas, 2015. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/book/39129.

I also found newspaper articles depicting the murders just days after they were committed.

The New York Herald, August 5, 1892

This newspaper suspects Lizzie as the possible murder and finds it very suspicious that neither her nor Bridget “Maggie” heard the murders take place. The article also references the murderer as “he” but headlines with “Suspecting the Daughter Lizzie”. In this article Bridget is referenced to cleaning the windows on the third floor with the help of Lizzie and that differs from the movie.

There are also uploads and articles about Lizzie Borden’s arrest on the internet today which can be found by clicking on this link https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-lizzie-borden/selected-articles. It shows real newspaper articles from leading up to her arrest to her trial. Here is one example of the articles that was found on this website that is pretty interesting.

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn91068084/1893-06-16/ed-1/seq-3/

History 2065 – Teamwork Project – Little Women