Adanggaman LONG Film Review Essay

(for intensive track)

Imagine both that you are a famous historian of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and that Roger Gnoan M'Bala’s film Adanggaman has just been released. The New York Post has asked you to write a review that assesses the historical accuracy of the film. Remember, the role of African elites and leaders (such as king Adanggaman in the film) in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade is well known; accordingly, you will have to assess other (but still significant) aspects of the film's portrayal of the trade. Your review should be no less than 200 words and no more 550. Historical inaccuracies, in the context of your review, may include not only aspects of the film that are outright false but also (and more interestingly) aspects that -- although plausible -- misrepresent what was typical or common for the slave trade at the time.

In short, take as the primary goal for your review answering this question:

"How can the content of Roger Gnoan M'Bala’s film Adanggaman be interpreted to demonstrate that the film is (or is not) an historically accurate representation of BOTH the external and internal slave trade in West Africa in the seventeenth century?"

(By internal slave trade, I mean the capture and sale of enslaved Africans within Africa for use as slaves within that continent. Be sure that when discussing the film's portrayal of the internal slave trade, you chose a scene that is explicitly and exclusively about this internal trade.)

Spend no more than a few sentences summarizing the story; again, your job here is to tell audiences whether or not what they are seeing is accurate -- not whether or not the film is good.

For the purposes of this paper, assume:

A) the history in the textbook, additional readings, and this chart is accurate

B) the only history you need to know is contained in the course readings so far. I neither expect or want you to do outside research.

C) Your response can argue the film is entirely accurate, entirely inaccurate, or a mix of accuracies and inaccuracies.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS

To receive full credit for this paper you must:

1) underline your thesis

2) label your claim/evidence/warrant units (see below) with some clear system. For example, you might write (cl) or (ev) in the margins, or include the word (claim) before your claim. Remember, only paragraphs the present evidence will have claim/evidence/warrant units. Others -- your introduction, for example -- will not.

3) cite all references from the course readings. Example: (Tignor, p. 17)

4) Have three points of comparison between the film and the readings. When comparing the film to the reading, you must have at least on piece of evidence from the film and one from the reading or from this chart. DO NOT IGNORE THE CHART.

5) Address BOTH the external and internal slave trade in West Africa. Papers that do not address the film's portrayal of the internal slave trade in West Africa will lose 15% of the top

6) Finally, no outside research is necessary, desirable, or even permitted for this paper. DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES IN WRITING THIS PAPER. Papers that use outside sources as the basis either a direct and indirect quotation will receive an "F".

7) Remember, your paper is on the film -- not the brief "Historical Viewpoint" that accompanies it on the DVD.

Writing Tips:

1) you will need to organize your response around a thesis statement (which you must underline to get credit for the paper). As we discussed in class, your thesis must answer the "how and why" questions, rather than simply assert an observation. (See here for a refresher handout on the thesis statement.)

2) The textbook does not directly address the internal African slave trade at any real length, so to answer that part of the question based of the textbook, you will have to extrapolate. (ex·trap·o·late, v.: to use known facts as the starting point from which to draw inferences or draw conclusions about something unknown). Keep in mind your responses to the short answer questions on the slave trade.

3) Consider you homework questions on the slave trade when doing this paper; I asked specific questions in order to prepare you to write this essay. You will find it a challenge to do this essay unless you go back to that homework.

4) In those paragraphs in which you present evidence (and only those paragraphs), be sure to use warrants to explain how the evidence you supply supports your thesis.

5) If you want to create an evidence chart (always a good idea) it might look like:

So, one way to organize your paper might be:

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Establish the context for your argument. What are (briefly) the important facts your audience must know to read further (No more than 3 sentences)

B. Thesis


I I. Point A

A. Claim: aspect X of the reading proves/disproves aspect y of the film regarding internal trade
B. Evidence (from film and readings)
C. Warrant

III. Point B

A. Claim: aspect X of the reading proves/disproves aspect y of the film regarding internal trade
B. Evidence (from film and readings)
C. Warrant

III Point C

A. Claim: aspect X of the reading proves/disproves aspect y of the film regarding EXTERNAL trade
B. Evidence (from film and readings)
C. Warrant

V Conclusion