Amistad (1997)

Thanks for the memories!

Simply Perfect

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Brilliant film about slave who mutiny, slaughter most of the crew and up in America where John Quincy Adams defends them. Really a sad tale, not only does it show the evil's of slavery, but the evil's of man against man and how evilly we can treat one another. Anthony Hopkins is absolutely stellar as Adams and the rest of the cast is excellent as well. Really should be required viewing, especially in today's climate.

'Amistad' is not one of Steven Spielberg's best, in the way that 'Schindler's List', 'Jaws', 'ET' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' are. He has however done worse, with the likes of 'The Lost World' and '1941'. Instead it's around solid middle when it comes to his films.Starting with the positives, the best things are the production values, coupled with the handsome and evocative period detail and the rich, searing cinematography there are some really arresting images here, and the sensational debut of Dijimon Hounsou, a performance of blistering passion and grave sensitivity.Throughout, especially in the first three-quarters, 'Amistad' boasts moments that are harrowing (the brutal voyage of the slaves), powerful (the opening scene) and moving (most of the film). The script is well-intentioned and thoughtful, if sometimes a bit over-sentimental and heavy-handed (especially Adams' big speech, that could have been stirring but didn't seem to know how far to go to make its obvious point, so it felt preachy). Much of Spielberg's direction is impeccable, with enough of what makes his direction so great in his best films.Hounsou isn't the only great actor here. Anthony Hopkins gives his all in an authoritative and stirring account of Adams and Matthew McConaughey shows more engagement and charisma than he does in some of his later films. Morgan Freeman is underused but is as you expect.On the other hand, 'Amistad' is a long film (not a bad thing necessarily), but could have been about 20 minutes shorter with less characters and some of the final act being trimmed. Some of the latter part of the film drags, and the score disappointingly is over-emphatic and gives a heavy-handedness. Despite being brilliantly delivered by Hopkins and clearly written with thought and good intent Adams' big speech just went too far making its point.In conclusion, a brave attempt at bringing a significant, if not as well known, event to film that works very well in a lot of elements but just misses the mark of completely working as an overall film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This film, based on real events, tells the dramatic story of the slaves of the ship "La Amistad", who are imprisoned in the United States after taking control of the ship and subjugate its Spanish crew. Directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by David Franzoni, the film has the participation of Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins and Morgan Freeman. It was nominated for four Oscars (Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score).The film is an excellent way to convey knowledge to people, especially if they don't like to read or study. In this context, historical films gain special importance. History is the guardian of the collective memory of people (as a nation or as a human race). Most people have difficulty to understand it. And I say this because this film addresses a troublesome page of our universal history: slavery and the slave trade, which at the time was considered normal, but we now recognize that it was cruel and wrong.The film's screenplay is excellent, no mistakes or holes. The public is able to perfectly understand the feelings and motivations of the characters, and how the problem of those slaves is handled by each of them, until turn into a diplomatic problem and a national controversy. The only thing I was not able to realize is the reason of a Portuguese slave ship in the plot, if Portugal had been one of the first countries in the world to legally abolish slave trade. If they acted illegally to English, they were also breaking Portuguese law of the time. The work of actors was also impeccable. Djimon Hounsou shone in the role of Cinque, surprising the audience with the depth of his character. Hopkins, in a relatively low profile, could be up to the challenge, as Morgan Freeman; but it was Matthew McConaughey who most impressed the film with a huge performance, full of quality.The sets and costumes fully correspond to what one would see and wear in the historical period depicted. The technical team did everything they could to get the necessary historical accuracy. Although not an action film, the film contains strong fight scenes and some visual and sound effects very well done.

The Amistad is a slow-paced film for reasons of mature and ominous suspense in court-law. In 1839 Martin Van Buren was president and he is known as a figurehead of the upstart of the Democratic Party. Anthony Hopkins plays the former president John Quincy Adams having came down from office during 1837 as his final seating as American president. Hopkins is given an 11 minute defense during courtroom debate for the slaves who are well as the heroes of the historical triumph the movie commemorates. March 4, 1837 was the date when he was succeeded by Van Buren. By 1840, depression conglomerated with southern financial and political pressures pelted the president. But Buren was ready for re-election as the third party presidential candidate by his stern alliance for the Free Soil anti-slavery party. The movie centers on a slave ship, the Amistad. It is intercepted by the American Marine Naval, belonging controversially to Spain, America, or noting that all these events transpires before the Civil War, perhaps the quasi- legal slaves will have a legal bounty to gain ownership over La Amistad? The film does not alarm a subconscious racially perverted conceit in me, but instead one must suspend modernity to interpellate with white antiquated mentality. The neutral American bias for rightful ownership of the ship obviously wins my heart's favor for the captors of the ship, the slaves, because they hold more moral sway as the ones who own the ship just by being likened to cargo, which is closer to being originally accidental in the Amistad having moved them from their homeland Africa. Cinque, who is played by Djimon Hounsou, was the leader of this African revolt; desires and expresses his desire to go back to Africa. He leads the transatlantic slave ship. Critics will utmost agree that he shines outstandingly out of all the film's characters, and he is truly impacting emotion in good acting of indignation: never is he seen as brutal in the mature audience. The slave manages to seem believable in a survivor's right after a gruesome scene wherein the rest of the slaves on board were planked and died careening overboard, known historically poignant as Spielberg's "cargo dumping historical realism". The testimony of the two slaves that overtake the Amistad as to their desire to return to Africa sets the whole tone of their role as the protagonists. Morgan Freeman plays the free black man Theodore Joadson to give us an idea of cultural shift during the time of the abolitionists' gaining legal presence. He works in the news printing office in Boston. The film extras are made out to be, through alliteration and synecdoche of their disposable placid lack for talent, pointing towards the audience to focus on the main characters, especially the stand-out, Cinque. Stellan Skarsgaard acts as another vying cause for abolitionism as Lewis Tappan. Matthew McConaughey as attorney Roger Baldwin is hired by abolitionists specifically for his slave- friendly property lawyer status. Janusz Kaminski is the photographer who does Sepia ambiances for the film to heavy the mood in the same way a photographer of realist-journalist competence would choose for the morose-colored eyeglasses. The movie's meaning is that Civil War could have ensued from the slave's legal right becoming pronounced as a real threat to the southern slave beliefs.