The Legacy of ‘Amistad’

With regard to Eric Gutierrez’s news analysis (“The Politics of Filmmaking,” Dec. 25): If we follow Spike Lee’s belief that Steven Spielberg is the only director who could have gotten the film “Amistad” made within the existing studio system, then all of us--both African American and white--can admire Spielberg for using his position to bring these important issues to a vast audience.

It is difficult to bring projects that depict the struggle for human dignity to the commercial marketplace, and all of us who have worked long and hard on like projects find new hope and inspiration when an “Amistad,” an “Eve’s Bayou,” “Soul Food,” “Kundun,” “The Education of Little Tree,” “Welcome to Sarajevo,” “Miss Evers’ Boys” or a “Buffalo Soldiers” makes it to the screen.

We have another thing in common. In creating our films, we worked with men and women of diverse races and cultures, and what we have created as a result of that wonderful synergy will feed our children’s way of looking at and being in the world . . . a world where race does not dictate the vision of the artist.

CHARLES HAID

Director, “Buffalo Soldiers”

Toluca Lake

Gutierrez’s article overlooks another aspect of the question of whether a film about a particular minority group should be done by someone from that group: perspective. A member of the group may be too close to it to present the subject with sufficient objectivity to appeal to a wide audience. In the past, the most insightful films about this country were made by foreigners who saw significance in things Americans just took for granted or had intentionally ignored, such as various forms of bigotry and racism.

RICK MITCHELL

Los Angeles

I thought “Amistad” was first-rate storytelling. However, as an advanced placement history teacher, I was really surprised to see that the Supreme Court in the film had nine justices. The court didn’t move to nine justices from seven until the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, more than 30 years after this case took place.

DAVID A. LEBOW

Schurr High School

Montebello