Deeps > Contemporary Film and the Black Atlantic > History

History permeates the films dealing with issues of the Black Atlantic and race. Even films that try to distance themselves from historical accuracy, such as Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), cannot avoid the discourses surrounding the themes it takes up (however reluctantly or briefly). Some recent films, such as Lincoln, intentionally weave history into their framework. But what role does history play in these films, whether accuracy is sought or avoided? In this section, the project will examine history’s impact on the film and audience.

This project is broken into three sections: accumulated histories, Disneyfied histories, and biopics. Films such as Cloud Atlas (2012), tackle philosophic questions on what “accumulated history” means. Disney has both its own historical problems dealing with race and, in recent years, has sought to globalize and diversify its franchises (for example, The Princess and the Frog (2009) featured the first Disney princess of African descent). And, in biopics such as Amazing Grace (2006), directors have sought to portray, and at times, glorify political figures that grappled with racism and inequality in their time.

What, in other words, do these portrayals of the Black Atlantic and the themes surrounding it add to conversation, both popular and scholarly?

Navigation Menu:

Accumulated Histories and Disposable People in Cloud Atlas and the Black Atlantic

Disneyfied Histories: Disney’s Intentional Inaccuracy, Historical Films, and The Black Atlantic

Lincoln and Amazing Grace: History, Abolition, Emancipation, and the Representation of Politics

How to cite this project: Sasha Panaram, Hannah Rogers, Thayne Stoddard. “Contemporary Film and the Black Atlantic.” Deeps, (Accessed on Date) http://sites.duke.edu/blackatlantic/