Transcript for:
Analysis of the Film Amistad

e [Music] e e e e e e e e e e friends if you want to watch super hit movie Amistad in English then you must like this video if you are visiting our channel for the first time don't forget to subscribe to our Channel friends in today's video the movie we are going to talk about is called Amistad we will talk about what this movie is and where you can watch it all the interesting facts about this movie in today's video I am going to tell you I am also going to give you all the information on which a platform or on which satellite channel you will get to watch this movie also we will talk in detail about the technical department music department pre-production filming post production budget box office collection of this film we will also talk about the story of this film and I will also give you a small review of the story of this film apart from this we will discuss about the facts of this film storyline starcast actor's performance in the film and which character has played which role that's why I request you friends to watch this video till the end so let's start the video Amistad is a 1997 American historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg based on the events in 1839 aboard the Spanish slave ship La Amistad during which men tribesmen abduct Ed for the slave trade managed to gain control of their captor ship off the coast of Cuba and the international legal battle that followed their capture by the Washington us Revenue cutter the case was ultimately resolved by the S Supreme Court in 1841 Morgan Freeman Anthony Hopkins and Matthew mcanoy starred along with Jim and hansu in his breakout role as s Pete postwe Nigel hawor and a then unknown CHT aaer appeared in supporting roles the film received largely positive critical reviews and grossed over 58 million worldwide movie plot the Schooner lamad is transporting black slaves off the coast of the Spanish colony of Cuba in 1839 a captive s leads an uprising against the crew most of whom are killed two Navigators Pedro montis and Jose Ruiz are spared on condition they help save the ship to Africa the Spaniards betray them and instead sail into US Waters where the ship is stopped by the S Revenue cutter Washington and the mutineers are arrested a complicated legal battle ensues over the slaves United States attorney William S hird brings charges of piracy and murder against them those charges are dismissed in a criminal case because the killings occurred outside of United States territorial Waters a civil case then follows with the Amistad Africans being claimed as property by Monty and Ruiz and as Salvage by two officers from the Washington the Spanish government of Queen Isabella Aya intervenes in support of Monty and Ruiz under the Treaty of 1795 also known as pinkney's treaty to avoid a diplomatic incident President Martin Van Beren directs his secretary of state John forth to support the Spanish claim meanwhile abolitionist Lewis tapen and his black associate Theodore jodson a former slave resolved to help the captives they approached the brilliant lawyer former US president and serving US Representative John Quincy Adams but he is reluctant to get involved they instead hire the young and eccentric attorney Roger Sherman Baldwin Baldwin unable to converse directly with his clients due to the language barrier suspects the slaves are not Cubans but Africans who have been kidnapped and transported reported illegally as part of the banned transatlantic slave trade he and jodson search La Amistad and find documents which prove the captives were kidnapped from Sierra Leon and transported across the Atlantic aboard the Portuguese slave ship teora before being transferred to LA anad in Havana the judge is impressed and signals his intention to dismiss the US and Spanish government's case and release the captives to preclude this possibility van Bern replaces the judge with a younger man cogin who he believes will be easier to manipulate jodson seeks advice from Adams who tells him that court cases are usually one by the side with the best story Baldwin and jodson recruit fredman Janes kovi as a translator enabling s to testify directly before the court he describes how he was kidnapped from his home and the horrors of the Middle Passage Baldwin calls Captain Fitzgerald of the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron to corroborate s's testimony he speculates that the captives were taken aboard the teora at the notorious slave Fort Loko under cross-examination Fitzgerald admits there is no direct evidence of lambo's existence as tension Rises s abruptly stands and demands give us us free moved by sin's emotion judge coglin rules that the Africans are to be released and that Monty and Ruiz are to be arrested and charged with with illegal slave trading under pressure from Senator John C Calhoun of South Carolina who represents the slave holding interests of the American South Van Beren appeals the case to the Supreme Court Baldwin and jodson visit Adams again and after meeting s he agrees to represent the Africans before The Supreme Court Adams impassioned and eloquent speech convinces the court to confirm the judgment and release the Africans lomboko is stor stored by Royal Marines under the command of Captain Fitzgerald and the slaves held there are freed Fitzgerald orders the ships Cannon to destroy the Fortress and dictates a sardonic letter to forth saying that he was correct the infamous slave Fort does not now exist vanban is discredited by his failure to prevent the release of the Africans and loses the 1840 election to William Henry Harrison the Spanish government continues to press its claim for compens ation up until the American Civil War the captions say that s returns to Africa but is unable to reunite with his family due to Civil War in Sierra Leon cast Jim and hansu as sang P Joseph s Matthew mcanoy as Roger Sherman Baldwin Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams Morgan Freeman as Theodore jodson Nigel Hawthorne as President Martin Van Beren the David payer as Secretary of State John for Sith Pete postal as William S hird stellen Skarsgard as Lewis tapan razak kadot as yamba Abu bakar Falana as fala Anna pacin as Queen Isabella Roman 2 of Spain Tomas Millian as Angel calderan de la Bara y belgrano Chu aaer as insign James kovi Derek aong as bu Goos Silva as Jose Ruiz John Ortiz as Pedro montis Kevin J OK Conor as missionary Ralph Brown as lieutenant Thomas R jenney Darren e Burrows as Lieutenant Richard W me Allan rich as Judge Andrew T Judson Paul gilfoil as Attorney Peter fth as Captain Charles Fitzgerald Xander Berkeley as Ledger Hammond Jeremy North as judge cogin Arles Howard as John C Calhoun Austin Pendleton as Professor Josiah Willard Gibbs Sr Pedro armendaris Jr as general balero espartero casting in casting the role of Joseph s Spielberg had strict requirements that the actor must have an impressive physical appearance be able to command Authority and be of West African descent the actor who secured the role would also need to learn the mend accent spoken by S Cuba Gooding Jr was offered the role but turned it down and later regretted it Dustin Hoffman was offered a role but turned it down while Will Smith and musician seal both tried to secure the part despite open auditions being held in London Paris and Sierra Leon the RO remained unfilled with just 9 weeks before filming was due to start Spielberg was prepared to delay production by up to 2 years if he could not find the right actor after considering over 150 actors Spielberg watched the audition tape of relatively unknown actor Jim and hansu reading a speech from the film's script after hansu read the speech in English and further learned it in menend Spielberg was impressed enough to cast him in the role of s 8 hanu auditioned with the hope of Landing just a small role and said he was not aware of the story before securing the role he read numerous books on the rebellion and subsequent trial to acquaint himself with events portrayed in the film Morgan Freeman was selected for the role of Theodore jodson on a first come basis who was a fictional character in the film representing the composite of African-American abolitionists in the 19th century Spike Lee an actor and film director was reportedly offered the role but declined it Freeman had been offered the role of IGN James kovi but he chose to play Jon in dead after he realized that the role was too young for him Chet aaer made his film debut in the role of kovi having auditioned for it while playing a fellow at the Royal National Theater in London while he was a student at the London Academy of Music and dramatic art retired US Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman made a cameo appearance in the film as Justice Joseph story Blackman was honored to appear in the movie acknowledging it was a significant film about our nation's struggle with slavery production Jim and hansu had a short period of just 10 days to learn the men dialect for his role as Joseph s despite both the dialect and hu's Native benon dialect being from West Africa there were few similarities hansu struggled to learn all his lines in menend and resorted to phonetically reciting some of them except for the most important scenes where he made sure to understand every word spoken hu expressed that being restrained in real chains and shackles during filming was among the most challenging aspects of the movie causing him to contemplate quitting on the first day filming filming locations included Mystic Sea port which doubled as New Haven film Crews spent 4 days there and employed around 300 extras numerous scenes were filmed in Newport Rhode Island many Courthouse scenes were shot in the old colony house while the prison scenes were shot within Fort Adams during the scene where the characters Joseph s and John Quincy Adams meet for the first time actors hansu and Hopkins struggled through take after take trying not to cry and had to be continually told by Spielberg to hold back the tears as it wasn't appropriate for that moment in the scene Hopkins reportedly wept once the scene was completed post- production the entire film was completed in 51 days and cost around $39 million till a183 4 million in 2023 prior to release a legal battle ensued between Spielberg's DreamWorks Pictures and novelist Barbara chase ribo the latter who claimed that specific details from her 1989 novel echo of lions were lifted for the screenplay Chase ribu filed a 10 million lawsuit of copyright infringement music the musical score for am ad was composed by John Williams a soundtrack album was released on December 9th 1997 by Dreamworks records historical accuracy Professor Howard Jones's 1987 book Mutiny on the Amistad The Saga of a slave revolt and its impact on American abolition law and diplomacy was cited by The Producers as one of numerous sources used for research during the script's development many academics including Columbia University Professor Eric foner have criticized Amistad for the misleading characterization of the Amistad case as a turning point in the American perspective on slavery foner wrote In fact the Amistad case revolved around the Atlantic slave trade by 1840 outlawed by International treaty and had nothing whatsoever to do with slavery as a domestic institution in congruous as it may seem it was perfectly possible in the 19 Century to condemn the importation of slaves from Africa while simultaneously defending slavery and the flourishing slave trade within the United States amads problems go far deeper than such anacronismo on a Whistle Stop train tour in 1840 candidates did not campaign or people constantly talking about the impending Civil War which lay 20 years in the future Elmer P Martin Jun argued that the film missed an opportunity to mention contemporary events like the Creole case a similar slave revolt on an American ship in 1841 Martin noted that some antibellum abolitionists Frederick Douglas found it strange and perverse that some of the Defenders of the alad slaves were willing to excuse the similar traffic carried on with the same motives and purposes in American Waters some critics like historian Eric mckitrick felt that the fictional character of jodson as portrayed by Morgan Freeman soften the film's portrayal of early American race relations no such person of the bearing indignity depicted by Mr Freeman would have been allowed to exist in the America of 1840 however Richard es Newman drew a connection between jodson and black reformers like James foron an early abolitionist who influenced white reformers like tapen and William Lloyd Garrison critical response Amistad received mainly positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from 67 critics with an average score of six 9/10 its consensus reads heartfelt without resorting to freakiness Amistad tells an important story with engaging sensitivity and absorbing skill Metacritic calculated an average score of 63 out of 100 based on 23 reviews indicating generally favorable reviews audiences pulled by cinemascore gave the film an average grade of a on an A plus to f scale Susan sigen of USA Today summed up the feelings of many reviewers when she wrote as Spielberg Vehicles go Amistad part mystery action thriller courtroom drama even culture Clash comedy lands between the disturbing lyricism of Schindler's List and the storybook artificiality of the Color Purple Roger Ebert awarded the film three out of four stars writing Amistad like Spielberg's skler list is about the ways good men try to work realistically within an evil system to spare a few of its victims Schindler's List works better as narrative because it is about a risky deception while Amistad is about the search for a truth that if found will be small consolation to the millions of existing slaves as a result the movie doesn't have the emotional charge of Spielberg's earlier film or of The Color Purple which moved me to tears what is most valuable about Amistad is the way it provides faces and names for its African characters whom the movies so often make into faceless victims in 2014 the movie was one of several disgust by Noah berlatsky in the Atlantic in an article concerning white savior narratives in film calling it sanctimonious Dil Morgan Freeman is very proud of the movie having said I loved the film I really did I had a moment of air during the killings I thought that was a little overwrought but Spielberg wanted to make a point and I understood that box office the film debuted at no three on Wednesday December 10th 1997 it earned 44 m229 441 at the box office in the United States Amistad movie review slavery could I suppose be seen largely as a matter of laws and property at least to those benefiting from it one of the astonishing facts revealed in Steven Spielberg's Amistad is that seven of the nine US Supreme Court justices in 1839 were slave owning Southerners his new film centers on the legal status of Africans who rise up against their captors on the high seas and are brought to trial in a New England Court slavery itself is not the issue instead the court must decide whether the defendants were born of slaves in which case they are guilty of murder or were illegally brought from Africa and therefore had a right to defend themselves against kidnapping This legal distinction is not made as clear as it could have been the international slave trade had been outlawed by treaties by 1839 the year of the landmark Amistad incident but those who were already slaves remained the property of their masters as did their children the moral hair splitting underlying that distinction is truly depraved but on it depends the defense of sink the leader of the Africans and his fellow mutineers the film opens on the ship Amistad where sink Jim hansu is able to free himself from shackles and release his fellow prisoners they rise up against the Spanish crew of the ship which is taking them from a Havana slave market to another destination in Cuba the two men who bought them are spared and promis to guide the ship back to Africa but they guide it instead into US Waters and the Africans find themselves in an American Court luckily it is a northern court or they would have little chance at all they are unlucky at first with their defense team which is led by Roger Baldwin Matthew mccon a real estate lawyer who bases his case on property law and only slowly comes to see his clients as human beings the the cause is supported by two Boston abolitionists a former slave named j and Morgan Freeman and an immigrant named tapan stellin Skarsgard and eventually on appeal former President John Quincy Adams Anthony Hopkins argues eloquently for the freedom of the men Amistad like Spielberg's skinder list is not simply an argument against immorality we do not need movies to convince us of the evil of slavery and the Holocaust both films are about the ways good men try to work realistically within an evil system to spare a few of its victims skler strategies are ingenious and suspenseful and lead to a more gripping and Powerful film than the legal tactics in Amistad where lawyers and powdered wigs try to determine the origin of men whose language they do not speak entirely apart from the moral issues involved Skyler's list works better as narrative because it is about a risky deception why Amistad is about the search for a truth that if found will be small consolation to the millions of existing slaves as a result the movie doesn't have the emotional charge of Spielberg's earlier film or of The Color Purple which moved me to tears the moments of greatest emotion in Amistad stand outside the main story they include a horrifying scene where with food running low on the ship the weaker captives are chained together and thrown over the side to drown so that more food will be left for the rest and another sequence in which the mechanics of the slave trade are examined as Africans capture members of enemy tribes and sell them to slave Traders a scene where sink sees African Violets in John Quincy Adams greenhouse and is seized with homesickness and syns memory of his wife left in Africa what is most valuable about Amistad is the way it provides faces and names for its African characters who the movies so often make into faceless victims the captive called sink emerges as a powerful individual a once free farmer who has lost his wife and family we see his wife and his village and something of his life we understand how cruy he was ripped from his life and Ambitions since it was the policy of Slavery to destroy African families these scenes are especially poignant he speaks no English but learns a little while in prison and it translates is found who helps him Express his dismay at a legal system that may free him but will not affirm the true nature of the crime against him he learns enough of Western Civilization to see its contradictions as in a scene where a fellow captive uses an illustrated Bible to explain how he can identify with Jesus and there is a touching scene between lawyer and client in which jodson at last talks to sink as a man and not as a piece in a puzzle give us free sink cries and in a powerful moment in the courtroom indicating how irrelevant a not-guilty verdict would be to the real facts of his case Jim and hu's performance depends largely on his screen presence which is formidable some of the other performances are disappointing I was surprised how little importance or screen time was given to the Morgan Freeman character who in his few scenes indicates the volumes that remain concealed Matthew MC's character is necessarily unfocused as the defense attorney he proceeds from moral blindness to a light that surprises no one and while we are happy for him we are not under the circumstances much moved Nigel hawor plays President Martin Van Beren who is portrayed as a spineless compromiser who wants only to keep the South off his back the character is played in the same note as his pathetic old George Roman 3 in The Madness of King George when more shrewd calculation might have been effective the heart of the film really is in Anthony Hopkins powerful performance as old John Quincy Adams who speaks for 11 minutes in defense of the defendants and holds the courtroom and the audience Spellbound it is one of the great movie courtroom speeches but in praising it I touch on the film's great weakness it is too much about the law and not enough about the victims ever since Spielberg began Amistad the story has been hyped and hailed as is a great Untold chapter in American history an event to put beside Nat Turner's Uprising the story of sink certainly deserves more attention in textbooks but it is not an ideal story to make into a film Nat Turner would have been a better choice for Spielberg that John Quincy Adams wins his big case is a great achievement for him and a great relief for sink and his fellow captives but in the sad annals of American slavery it is a rather Hollow Triumph the film follows the events which occurred after the Revolt by enslaved Africans on board the slave ship Amistad it draws heavily upon the W Owens book Black Mutiny the revolt on the Schooner Amistad it describes the Africans capture their enslavement their purchase the overthrow of their captors and the subsequent trials in America where they won their freedom and eventual return to Africa featuring The notable actors Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins the film has gained a prominent place in the filmic representation of the Atlantic slave trade the film succeeds on the basis of two core themes suffering and survival the way in which these two are represented Mark the film as unique the opening scenes of the enslaved Africans overrunning the Amistad killing its crew and taking over sets the tone of the film and the audience is never allowed to forget the image of the muscular African screaming as he thrusts his sword into one of his former captors the enslaved Africans are not represented as supplicants they have fought for their freedom these images are coupled with representations of the middle passage which are often considered to be the most powerful aspect of the film in the hold of the slav ship the camera pans across the chain bodies of the enslaved sickness brutality mutilation and death are depicted in these scenes blood is splattered across the deck of the ship as the visceral horrors of enslavement are brought to attention suffering and survival are thereby expressed with the film's evident attention to the human body it is the human form which becomes the means by which the suffering of enslavement is portrayed the strength of the enslaved is celebrated and the legality of enslavement debated it is this expression of the corporeal which marks the film as Innovative and which has won its so many accolades the strong body the body in pain and the body in law form a means of comparison and contrast the muscular body which strikes against those who have imprisoned it is forcefully expressed the suffering body on the slave ship serves as a graphic reminder of the pain inflicted onto others the courtroom arguments that Center upon the ownership of the cargo of the Amistad are resolved only when this cargo is recognized as being human bodies this distinctive approach to the filmic representation of the Atlantic slave trade is also evident in the the portrayal of African culture and identity s the lead member of the enslaved Africans is shown as strong knowledgeable and highly intelligent rather than turn the story of the Amistad into a celebration of the kindness and generosity of white abolitionists sang is shown to be the instigator and cause of the freedom which is eventually granted to the enslaved Africans the complexities and diversity of African culture are also highlighted with the tribal divisions between those who were captured shown by differences between language culture and beliefs this difference of culture is also drawn attention to with the problems of communication between this group of Africans and American society this difficulty is shown to be felt most keenly by those who were former slaves who are now dislocated from their own African Heritage this struggle to comprehend one another can be contrasted with the final victory in the Supreme Court as understanding is revealed as the key by which Injustice can be recognized this message is not presented as too sacaran though despite the film's status as a major Hollywood film with major academics assisting with the project including Henry Louie Gates the film is well filmed and well researched its distinctiveness however is marked by the choice to focus on the human body to tell the story of the Amistad and through this the brutalities of the Atlantic slave trade other information about this film The forces of power racism and Justice momentously clash in Steven Spielberg's epic drama Amistad an artistically solid if not always dramatically exciting Chronicle of the 1839 Rebellion on board the Spanish slave ship of the title true story which few Americans have even heard about is presented as an international Intrigue of a high order one that involved the governments of pre- Civil War us Great Britain Spain and of course the 53 African held captive in the cramped cargo off the Cuban Coast boasting a high voltage cast led by britz Anthony Hopkins and Nigel Hawthorne Americans Morgan Freeman and Matthew mccon and most impressively West African Jim hu as the rebels leader this second release from Dreamworks should sail safely as a message film that touches on the very fabric of the American social system Spielberg's second foray into African-American history is far more effective and moving than the color purple his compromised sanitized rendition of Alice Walker's novel thematically the new film is a logical Endeavor following Skyler's list though stylistically the two films are very different aiming to instruct as well as entertain and often struggling to reconcile these two Divergent goals Amistad lacks the subtlety of tone and the Simplicity of form that made the 1993 Oscar winning film so special in Spielberg's IR the director strives a tad too hard to emphasize the universal elements of the 19th century case of Injustice using a deliberate visual style that accentuates and often inflates every single idea and image Spielberg Skeptics will find ammunition to criticize Amistad as too solemnly Earnest and too bombastic in its visual strategy in a powerful pre-credit sequence that evidences a conspicuously bold touch Spielberg shows how senp called sink by the Spaniards Begins the Rebellion when he breaks free of his shackles this violent scene partly responsible for pick R rating depicts graphically with mega close-ups and Rapid Montage the impalement of an officer on a sword from this point on David franzone's multifaceted script relates the Saga from the perspective of its Central victim a once free rice farmer who suddenly found himself a chained slave with sink hansu the filmmakers provide the audience a most sympathetic figure and an emotional hook to absorb the sprawling drama as it hops from one continent to another after the rebels are caught and thrown into a New England prison story switches to Theodore jodon Freeman a former slave who has joined forces with a businessman called tapen stellin Skarsgard in the Abolitionist cause when the alad incident breaks the American Press labels it a massacre at sea but Json perceives the Africans as Freedom Fighters attempting to enlist a decent attorney he ends up with Baldwin mccon a shady property lawyer nicknamed dung Scrapper for Baldwin the case represents a property not a human rights issue indeed in the trial positioned against hird Pete postal the nasty government prosecutor Baldwin tries desperately to prove that the Africans were not legally slaves that they were stolen goods because they were born in Africa and illegally kidnapped from their homes drama becomes intriguingly complex when broader political forces are brought to the surface fearing the Wrath of the South incumbent President Martin Van Beren hawor who's running for reelection overturns the lower Court's decision which had favored the Africans he and his secretary of state for David pamer shamelessly pull strings behind the scenes and even appoint a new attorney the case goes to the Supreme Court where the Africans are defended by none other than John Quincy Adams Hopkins the former president and Son of Founding Father John Adams neither an abolitionist nor pro-slavery Adams is a reluctant hero an astute Incorruptible Puritan enamored of flowers and plants who initially refused to help a moralist at heart he throws himself wholeheartedly into defending the Africans in a fervent speech that summons the Declaration of of Independence and other basic tenets of the American dream looking at the case from a Contempo POV the script contains some astutely cynical observations about politicians as when one official says is there anything more pathetic than an ex-president the statement refers to Adams but will send timely vibrations to present day viewers all along there are jokes about Spain's Queen Isabella Anna pacin a pubescent still playing with dolls who later continued to argue about the Amistad case with seven presidents though there are a number of Trials Spielberg shrewdly avoids the routine format of courtroom drama instead seamlessly integrating the numerous characters and their particular stands on the case yet every once in a while one senses an inner tension between Spielberg the mass Entertainer with his assured command of fcil camera and trademark pyate Technics and the genuine artist pressing for the simple core of the drama occasionally the film succumbs to the level of an anthropological survey viewing the Africans and their rituals as exotic curiosity though hu's dignified portrayal of sink as a man of outer strength and inner peace successfully counters this weakness regrettably the always brilliant Freeman is totally wasted as jodson functioning as no more than a link among the various episodes a possible result of the fact that his fictional character is a composite of several his historical figures cast against type with shabby beard and big glasses to De glamorize his natural handsomeness Macon renders a passable performance failing to grab the opportunities of his substantial role playing a man older than his age Hopkins shines throughout and once he takes Center Stage he ignites the screen with a Brava 11-minute argument that results in the freeing of the slaves and crushing the notorious loka slave Fortress the large inspired Ensemble hits its marks with small but succinctly drawn roles with Hawthorne as the pro slavery president payer as the cunning Secretary of State and Skarsgard as the decent abolitionist tapan among others filmed in various locations in New England and Puerto Rico technically Amistad is an oral and visual pleasure due to John Williams emotional score Janice kaminsky's vibrant lensing Rick Carter's accurate production design and Ruth Carter's verified costumes all contributing to an authentic experience which is further enhanced by the African use of the menend language here's a word analogy Amistad is to the lost world as Schindler's List is to Jurassic Park in 1993 after Steven Spielberg made the monster Dino hit many critics described Schindler's List as the director's Penance as if there was a need for him to apologize for making a crowd pleasing block Blockbuster now after a 3-year layoff Spielberg is back with avengeance once again his summer release was special effects loaded action adventure flick with Dinosaurs munching on human appetizers now following his 1993 pattern he has fashioned another serious inspirational Christmas release about the nature of humanity that film is Amistad although not as masterful as Schindler's List Amistad is nevertheless a gripping motion picture thematically Rich impeccably crafted and intellectually stimulating the only area where this movie Falls a little short is in its emotional impact watching Skyler's list was a powerful almost spiritual experience Spielberg pulled us into the narrative absorbed Us in the drama then finally let us go exhausted and shattered 3 plus hours later aspects of the movie have stayed with me ever since Amistad while a fining example of film making is not as Transcendent the incident of the ship L Amistad is not found in any history books but considering who writes the texts that's not a surprise however the event is a part of the American Social and legal Fabric and while Amistad does not adhere rigorously to the actual account most of the basic facts are in order several mostly minor changes have been made to enhance the film's dramatic force on the whole while Amistad may not be faithful to all of the details of the situation it is true to the spirit and meaning of what transpired one stormy night during the summer of 1839 the 53 men imprisoned on the Spanish slave ship La Amistad Escape led by the lionhearted sink Jim and hansu they take control of the vessel killing most of the crew a drift somewhere off the coast of Cuba and uncertain how to make their way back to Africa they rely on the two surviving Spaniards to navigate the Eastward Journey they are trick however and the lamad which makes its way northward off the United States Eastern coastline is eventually captured by an American naval ship near Connecticut the kidnapped Africans are Shackled and thrown into prison charged with murder and piracy the first men to come to the African defense are abolitionists Theodore jod and Morgan Freeman and Lewis tapen stellen Skarsgard they are soon joined by Roger Baldwin Matthew mcanoy a property attorney of little repute aided by advice from former President John Quincy Adams Anthony Hopkins Baldwin proves a more persuasive orator than anyone gave him credit for and his Central argument that the prisoners were illegally kidnapped free men not property convinces the judge but powerful forces have aligned against Baldwin's cause current President Martin Van be and Nigel Hawthorne eager to plee these Southern voters and 11-year-old Queen Isabella of Spain anap pacin begins pulling strings behind the scenes to ensure that none of the Africans goes free at its heart Amistad is a tale of human courage sink is a heroic figure whose Spirit remains unbreakable regardless of the pain and indignity he is subjected to he is a free man not a slave and while he recognizes that he may die as a result of his struggle he will not give it up effectively portrayed by newcomer Jim and hansu whose passion and Screen presence arrest our attention SN is the key to viewers seeing the amistat Africans as more than symbols in a battle of ideologies they are individuals and our ability to make that distinction is crucial to the movie's success to amplify this point Spielberg presents many scenes from the African point of view detailing their occasionally humorous observations about some of the white man's seemingly strange rituals the larger struggle is of course one of defining Humanity as the Nazis felt justified in slaughtering Jews because they viewed their victims as subhuman so the pro-slavery forces of Amistad use a similar defense the abolitionists regard the Africans as men but the slavers and their supporters see them as animals or property in a sense the morality of slavery is on trial here with the Spectre of Civil War which would break out out less than three decades later looming over everything amads presentation of the legal and political intricacies surrounding the trial are fascinating making this movie one of the most engrossing courtroom dramas in recent history four claimants come forward against the Africans the state which wants them tried for murder the queen of Spain who wants them handed over to her under the provision of an American Spanish treaty two American naval officers who claimed the of high sea Salvage and the two surviving Spaniards from La Amistad who demand that their property be returned to them Baldwin must counter all of these claims while facing a challenge to his own preconceived notions as the result of a relationship he develops with sink even though attorney and client are divided by a language barrier they gradually learn to communicate aside from sink who is a fully realized individual characterization is spotty but but the acting is topnotch Matthew macconi successfully overcomes his pretty boy image to become Baldwin but the lawyer is never particularly well defined outside of his role in the La Amistad case likewise while Morgan Freeman and stellin Skarsgard are effective as jodon and tapan they are never anything more than abolitionists Nigel hawor who played the title character in The Madness of King George presents Martin Van Beren as a spineless sick off to whom Justice Means far less than winning an election finally there's Anthony Hopkins whose towering portrayal of John Quincy Adams is as compelling as anything the great actor has recently done Hopkins who can convincingly play Such diverse figures as a serial killer an emotionally crippled English butler and Richard Nixon makes us believe that he is Adams his 10-minute speech about freedom and human values is Unforgettable one point of difference worth noting between Amistad and Schindler's List is this film's lack of a well-defined human villain Schindler's List had Ralph fen's superbly realized Ammon goth who was not only a three-dimensional character but a personification of all that the Nazis stood for there is no such figure in Amistad the villain is slavery but in ideology no matter how evil is rarely the best adversary it is to Spielberg's credit that he has fashioned such a compelling ing motion picture without a prominent antagonist amads Trek to the screen which encountered some choppy Waters author Barbara Chase ribu has cried plagiarism a charge denied by the filmmakers comes in the midst of an upsurge of interest in the incident an opera of the same name opened in Chicago on November 29th 1997 numerous books about the subject are showing up on bookstore shelves it remains to be seen how much longevity the the Amistad phenomena has but one thing is certain with Spielberg's rousing substantive film leading the way the spotlight has now illuminated this chapter of American History positive elements viewing this film permanently changes a person's perception of slavery especially that of early American slavery and slave trading a clear message celebrates Every Man's unique value human life is shown to have great value regardless of race the brutality perpetrated against the slaves is shown as inexcusable and vile in addition the story of Jesus life death and Resurrection is shown in lingering detail via a picture Bible acquired by sink the leader of the captured Africans when John Quincy Adams presents his case to the Supreme Court he calls on them to recognize right and wrong they do so when sink is forced to kill during the Mutiny a close-up of his face reveals that he does not kill for fun or even Revenge but to live his revulsion remorse and Terror are notably portrayed in his expression this is not senseless violence but it is extremely graphic in portrayal spiritual content at one point sink remarks that Christ lost his battle because he died but it is noted that he was without sin salvation is not the object of the lesson on Christ's life sexual content several scenes include brief but explicit scenes of full frontal nudity involving men and women a dark scene on the deck of the ship may also involve sexual assault but those images are difficult to see clearly violent content a twisting sword through a chest is shown under the flashing glare of nighttime lightning a line of 50 slaves including women and children are tied together and Drug overboard in the middle of the sea by a weight of refuse they scream and flail as they Cascade over the side of the ship crude or profane language the word h is used once as an exploitive other negative elements President Martin Van beran drinks Brandy summary an important film as it relates to the American cultural landscape at least as important if not more so than Schindler's List that said both films include graphic violence and new this film is not for children or even Most teens and many adults may find the realistic depictions of violence and degradation here very difficult to watch as well more details when you think of the works of director Steven Spielberg the films that will likely first come to mind are probably those like Jurassic Park or Jaws for how they hold up as thrilling Blockbusters however it was the 1997 historical drama Amistad that while it remains one of his most under discust is also one of those films that has striking moments that is the director at his best even if the story is not it is a work that for all its flaws in its narrative Framing and overstuffed approach is still quite flooring in its simple moment even as it gets caught up in the legal drama that writer David frenzon makes its Central Focus there are some rather intriguing elements it is more than a bit misguided in its prevailing approach but it still discovers some moments of necessary cinematic Clarity amidst the noisy plot this is most felt in the beginning when we are introduced to S played by the consistently great Jim hansu who is being held aboard a ship transporting slaves off the coast of the Spanish colony of Cuba in 1839 it is a grim opening though takes a liberating turn both cinematically and thematically when he manages to free himself from his shackles under the cover of with lightning crackling across the sky s then leads an uprising by killing several of their captors and taking control of the ship it is a strong opening and makes for a compelling introduction that nothing else following it is able to quite match much of this comes from how the moment of freedom is shortlived as a betrayal by those they spare ends in their capture and imprisonment in America we then get introduced to a whole host of other characters historical and otherwise who take part in an extended legal battle to free the slaves that have been brought there such Focus feels Off the Mark dodging what should have been the more interesting storyline for a far less interesting one dominated by legal elements at the center of this is a miscast Matthew mccon in one of his earliest roles as the lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin who wearing a goofy wig and glasses will represent the captured men on behalf of abolitionists seeking to fight the barbaric Institution of slavery he is less driven by this cause and there are moments of the film that are skeptical of his approach including in one scene of translation where it is clear just how out of his depth he is the biggest problem comes down to how much we are following the story through his eyes the way he treats the people he is representing feels more than a bit patronizing in ways that the film doesn't have a handle on not only is he often bad at a job that is already hard enough but he is the least significant character in the story yet becomes the one that the story often focuses on the most he eventually does come to understand the importance of this case but his journey of understanding is TR especially when seen in the trajectory of similar stories that Center on a white character coming to learn the horrors of the world that he remains immune to it is just boring and the less time we spend with Baldwin the better the film is thankfully the film does understand understand that its greatest asset remains in hu as not only is the actor a strong screen presence in the opening scene of the Rebellion but he manages to smuggle in some greater depth to the character in The quieter scenes even when he is pushed to the side for all the structural problems that the film has in how it is conceived is through his presence that everything becomes elevated every time he is on screen we lean in and are able to forget much of the Meandering Road it took to get back there to sit with him the film smartly makes the pivot to make s a more active participant in the trial and speak in his own defense as opposed to merely being a bystander in these scenes hu shines as he brings life to a passion and rage that had been largely absent from the rest of the film he is an understated performer who can shift into a mesmerizing monologue in the blink of an eye in a memorial sequence of sorts that is also a protest when one of his fellow captives dies there is no looking away from him and his ability to command the scene while this should have more centrally been a story about S as opposed to the lawyers and corrupt leaders around him what we do get ends up being riveting in ways that sneak up on you the way hansu is able to push the story Into the far deeper and more engaging emotional territory is a testament to the value of a good actor even in a less than perfect story there is an irony the film occasionally grapples with in how the case is primarily about we s and the rest of the men were taken into slavery legally as opposed to under false pretenses the question is not about truth or morality as it becomes clear that the rules can be Rewritten at any time to suit those with an economic interest in continuing the exploitation no matter how much the story seems slightly enamored with the legal institutions that the film centers on the case was always about power and nothing else by the time Baldwin finally begins to mount a strong legal defense that seems like it will work the prosecution conspires to replace the judge with a stooge they can more easily manipulate it becomes clear that no matter how much one has truth or morality on their side those willing to work a human being to death will not be constrained by shamelessness or consistency for all the ways the film is unwilling to focus on the most important parts of this story The Moments it sets its SES on the more honest and human moments draw Us in it's hard to recall a more Stark example of a director's absolute best and worst Tendencies on display and at such extremes back and forth and back and forth throughout the course of one single solitary movie Amistad not only boasts sequences equal to Spielberg's best but at times it's completely singular in its Mastery then at other times Amistad is a stay pandering melodramatic history lesson that wallows in Spielberg's worst impulses this would Mark the first of Steven's Four toate Noble looks at American history like the others the more Amistad strives for nobility the more it becomes too important for its own good at its worst this dramatization modlin American piety though admirable borders on unbearable yet when the movie steps back and shuts its mouth to observe the slave trade in unflinching brutality amast is a Flatout Masterpiece La Amistad was the name of a Spanish slave ship that as it approached American Waters fell Siege to one of the most dramatic slave revolts In The Bleak history of that trade and it occurred at Sea Spielberg opens the film with abrupt surrealism depicting this Uprising with a fever dream Artistry and in prolonged fashion it's mesmerizing strange ferociously hypnotic and possibly the most fantasmagorical thing Spielberg ever done I honestly can't compare it to anything else in his entire Cannon once conquered the ship and its slaves are a drift eventually La Amistad is commandeered by US troops off the American Coast the slaves are caught in legal limbo between three different entities including Spain that each lay competing claims on the ship's property and with that Spielberg takes what held the promise of another radical departure into Uncharted Territory both for him as a filmmaker and us as an audience and turns it into the familiar a courtroom drama as legal dramas go this true case is obviously a fascinating one particularly as it would both implicitly and literally test the bounds of legalized slave trade in the United States the very ruling depending on where it landed and how it was worded could begin to question if any human could be legally defined as property the problem here however is that the cas's compelling legal details while discussed end up taking a backseat to a whole lot of speechifying not just in court but also in recess conversations at home during meals on the streets or with the slaves the topic is debated with grandious rhetoric between lawyers activists and politicians it's overly scripted and staged and more suited for the stage not the screen as characters speak with varying degrees of self- ort American human and constitutional ideals are proclaimed with a self-conscious awareness of their historical moment expressed through heavy-handed symbols metaphors gestures and declarations and when these people aren't in effect telling us how Noble they are John Williams overstated music does beautifully compose though it is both are often equal offenders working in tandem the story subjects can be squared off into two categories elements that require spiel Berg's empathy slavery Christianity from those that already have his L held sympathies namely American government and constitutional idealism ironically the more connected Spielberg feels to certain scenes and material the worse off it lands he wields his biases well-placed though they are like a moral Sledgehammer from a top a soap box conversely the less that Spielberg speaks the language of something the African experience Christian doctrine the more authentic IC Al and effectively it's rendered or in more simple terms if it's white people they're grandstanding but if it's black people it's devastating along with the film's powerful opening there's another sequence about halfway through that takes us Into The Gauntlet of the slave trade its systemic structure and dehumanizing inh Humanity violent and harrowing this lengthy flashback tracks how sink the leader of the slave Mutiny was captured processed and shipped and how he came to be on the Amistad once at Sea even more Horrors meet sink and his fellow slaves on their transatlantic Journey it's as unsettling and graphic as anything in Schindler's List and matches 12 Years a Slave at its most sadistic and cruel the courtroom scene by contrast are packed with bald face contrivances dramatic excesses and plenty of gavel banging the give us free disturbance is a craft manipulation of the first order amast St is much less convincing and much more forced when it's debating the issues than when it's depicting them the abolitionists Morgan Freeman and stellen Skarsgard farare much better than the crusading lawyer Matthew mccon or Statesman ex-president John Quincy Adams Anthony Hopkins all are honorable even heroic but the latter seem particularly aware of the very history their forging with each word that escapes their lips the most compelling characters are the ones who don't speak English led by Jim and hansu as SN the name Talent is impressive certainly Hopkins in particular but also too mannered the African cast is vibrant charismatic and brings a welcome intensity to the American heirs but along with that also notes of quiet Grace and strength hu displays passionate rage and deep rooted wisdom with equal veracity in one of the film's most surprising scenes Spielberg portrays an extended exchange about the life of Jesus it's shared to sink by a fellow slave he has gleaned Christ's story through drawings in a Bible there in Christ from Death to Resurrection the slave has found strength and hope the conversation is as full and clear a gospel presentation as you'll ever hear in a major Motion Picture This Side of an actual Jesus movie and credit Spielberg whose biases are with Judaism for granting that much screen time reverently no less to the gospel mage message even though it does nothing to propel The Narrative and yet the climactic scene which was entirely necessary and factual Rings false this lengthy closing argument by former president Adams comes off as a lecture and for nearly 20 minutes the movie shoves it down our throats it's exactly the kind of stultifying historical reenactment that could have used a Hamilton esque revolutionary jolt in the aesthetic form despite the wildly mixed results an dad remains a mustsee with profoundly visceral sequences that are simply not to be missed if only the entire film were made up of them when it comes to Spielberg's American historical dramas Amistad is arguably the best of the four whenever it's not spending half its time being the worst Amistad is a 1997 American historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg based on the events in 1839 aboard the Spanish slave ship laist ad during which men tribesmen abducted for the slave trade managed to gain control of their captor ship off the coast of Cuba and the international legal battle that followed their capture by the Washington us Revenue cutter the case was ultimately resolved by the S Supreme Court in 1841 Morgan Freeman Anthony Hopkins and Matthew mcanoy starred along with Jim and hu in his breakout role as s Pete postwe Nigel hofor and a then unknown CHT aaer appeared in supporting roles the film received largely positive critical reviews and grossed over $58 million worldwide movie plot the Schooner lamad is transporting black slaves off the coast of the Spanish colony of Cuba in 1839 a captive s leads an uprising against the crew most of whom are killed two Navigators Pedro montis and Jose Ruiz are spared on condition they help sail the ship to Africa the Spaniards betray them and instead sail into US Waters where the ship is stopped by the S Revenue cutter Washington and the mutineers are arrested a complicated legal battle ensues over the slaves United States attorney William S hird brings charges of piracy and murder against them those charges are dismissed in a criminal case because the killings occurred outside of United States Terror teritorial Waters a civil case then follows with the Amistad Africans being claimed as property by Monty and Ruiz and as Salvage by two officers from the Washington the Spanish government of Queen Isabella Aya intervenes in support of Monty and Ruiz under the Treaty of 1795 also known as pinkney's treaty to avoid a diplomatic incident President Martin Van Beren directs his secretary of state John forth to support the Spanish claim meanwhile abolitionist Lewis tapen and his black associate Theodore jodson a former slave resolved to help the captives they approach the brilliant lawyer former US president and serving US Representative John Quincy Adams but he is reluctant to get involved they instead hire the young and eccentric attorney Roger Sherman Baldwin Baldwin unable to converse directly with his clients due to the language barrier suspects the slaves are not Cubans but Africans who have been kidnapped and transported illegally as part of the ban transatlantic slave trade he and jodson search La Amistad and fine documents which prove the captives were kidnapped from Sierra Leon and transported across the Atlantic aboard the Portuguese slave ship teora before being transferred to La Amistad in Havana the judge is impressed and signals his intention to dismiss the US and Spanish government's case and release the captives to preclude this possib ility van Beren replaces the judge with a younger man cogin who he believes will be easier to manipulate jodson seeks advice from Adams who tells him that court cases are usually one by the side with the best story Baldwin and jodon recruit fredman James kovi as a translator enabling s to testify directly before the court he describes how he was kidnapped from his home and the horrors of the Middle Passage Baldwin calls Captain Fitzgerald heral of the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron to corroborate s's testimony he speculates that the captives were taken aboard the teora at the notorious slave Fort lomboko under cross-examination Fitzgerald admits there is no direct evidence of lumo's existence as tension Rises s abruptly stands and demands give us us free moved by s's emotion judge coglin rules that the Africans are to be released and that Monty's and Ruiz are to be arrested and charged with illegal slave trading under pressure from Senator John C Calhoun of South Carolina who represents the slave holding interests of the American South Van beran appeals the case to the Supreme Court Baldwin and jodson visit Adams again and after meeting s he agrees to represent the Africans before The Supreme Court Adam's impassioned and eloquent speech convinces the court to confirm the judgment and release the Africans lomboko is stormed by Royal Marines under the command of Captain Fitzgerald and the slaves held there are freed Fitzgerald orders the ship's Cannon to destroy the Fortress and dictates a sardonic letter to forth saying that he was correct the infamous slave Fort does not now exist vanban is discredited by his failure to prevent the release of the Africans and loses the 1840 election to William Henry Harrison the Spanish government continues to press its claim for compensation up until the American Civil War the captions say that s returns to Africa but is unable to reunite with his family due to Civil War in Sierra Leon cast Jim and hansu as senang P Joseph s Matthew mcanoy as Roger Sherman Baldwin Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams Morgan Freeman as Theodore jodson Nigel Hawthorne as President Martin Van Beren David pamer as Secretary of State John Forth Pete postal as William S hird stellen Skarsgard as Lewis tapan razak kadot as yamba Abu bakar Falana as Falla Anna pacin as Queen Isabella Roman 2 of Spain Tomas Millian as Angel calderan de la Barco y belgrano CH aaer as insign James kovi Derek as bu Gino Silva as Jose Ruiz John Ortiz as Pedro montis Kevin J OK Conor as missionary Ralph Brown as lieutenant Thomas R jenney Darren e Burrows as Lieutenant Richard W me Allan rich as Judge Andrew T Judson Paul gilfoil as Attorney Peter fth as Captain Charles Fitzgerald Xander Berkeley as Ledger Hammond Jeremy Northam as judge cogin Arles Howard as John C Calhoun Austin Pendleton as Professor Josiah Willard Gibbs Sr Pedro armendaris Jr as general balero espartero casting in casting the role of Joseph s Spielberg had strict requirements that the actor must have an impressive physical appearance be able to command Authority and be of West African descent the actor who secured the role would also need to learn the mend accent spoken by S Cuba Gooding Jr was offered the role but turned it down and later regretted it Dustin Hoffman was offered a role but turned it down while Will Smith and musician seal both tried to secure the part despite open auditions being held in London Paris and Sierra Leon the role remained unfilled with just 9 weeks before filming was due to start Spielberg was prepared to delay production by up to 2 years if he could not find the right actor after considering over 150 actors Spielberg watched the audition tape of relatively unknown actor Jim and hu reading a speech from the film's script after hu read the speech in English and further learned it in menend Spielberg was impressed enough to cast him in the role of s 8 Hound auditioned with the hope of Landing just a small role and said he was not aware of the story before securing the role he read numerous books on the rebellion and subsequent trial to acquaint himself with events portrayed in the film Morgan Freeman was selected for the role of Theodore jodson on a first come basis who was a fictional character in the film representing the composite of African-American abolitionists in the 19th century Lee an actor and film director was reportedly offered the role but declined it Freeman had been offered the role of IGN James Co but he chose to play Jon instead after he realized that the role was too young for him Chu aaer made his film debut in the role of kovi having auditioned for it while playing a fellow at the Royal National Theater in London while he was a student at the London Academy of Music and dramatic art retired US Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman made a cameo appearance in the film as Justice Joseph story Blackman was honored to appear in the movie acknowledging it was a significant film about our nation's struggle with slavery production Jim and hansu had a short period of just 10 days to learn the men dialect for his role as Joseph s despite both the dialect and hu's Native benon dialect being from West Africa there were few similarities hansu struggled to learn all his lines in mend and resorted to phonetically reciting some of them except for the most important scenes where he made sure to understand every word spoken hu expressed that being restrained in real chains and shackles during filming was among the most challenging aspects of the movie causing him to contemplate quitting on the first day filming filming locations included Mystic Seaport which doubled as New Haven film Crews spent 4 days there and employed around 300 extras numerous scenes were filmed in Newport Rhode Island many Courthouse scenes were shot in the old colony house while the prison scenes were shot within Fort Adams during the scene where the characters Joseph s and John Quincy Adams meet for the first time actors hu and Hopkins struggled through take after take trying not to cry and had to be continually told by Spielberg to hold back the tears as it wasn't appropriate for that moment in the scene Hopkins reportedly wept once the scene was completed post production the entire film was completed in 51 days and cost around $39 million till a183 4 million in 2023 prior to release a legal battle ensued between Spielberg's DreamWorks Pictures and novelist Barbara chase reiboot the latter who claimed that specific details from her 1989 novel echo of lions were lifted for the screenplay Chase reibo filed a $10 million lawsuit of copyright infringement music the musical score for Amistad was composed by John Williams a soundtrack album was released on December 9th 1997 by Dreamworks records historical accuracy Professor Howard Jones's 1987 book Mutiny on the Amistad The Saga of a slave revolt and its impact on American abolition law and diplomacy was cited by The Producers as one of numerous sources used for research during the script's development many academics including Columbia University Professor Eric foner have criticized Amistad for the misleading characterization of the Amistad case as a turning point in the American perspective on slavery foner wrote In fact the Amistad case revolved around the Atlantic slave trade by 1840 outlawed by International treaty and had nothing whatsoever to do with slavery as a domestic institution in congruous as it may seem it was perfectly possible in the 19th century to condemn the importation of slaves from Africa while simultaneously defending slavery and the flourishing slave trade within the United States amads problems go far deeper than such anachronisms as President Martin vanban campaigning for reelection on a Whistle Stop train tour in 1840 candidates did not campaign or people constantly talking about the impending Civil War which lay 20 years in the future Elmer P Martin Jr argued that the film missed an opportunity to mention contemporary events like the Creole case a similar slave revolt on an American ship in 1841 Martin noted that some antibellum abolitionists Frederick Douglas found it strange and perverse that some of the Defenders of the alad slaves were willing to excuse the similar traffic carried on with the same motives and purposes in American Waters some critics like historian Eric mckitrick felt that the fictional character of jodson as portrayed by Morgan Freeman softened the film's portrayal of early American race relations no such person of the bearing and dignity depicted by Mr Freeman would have been allowed to exist in the America of 1840 however Richard s Newman drew a connection between jodon and black reformers like James foron an early abolitionist who influenced white reformers like tapen and William Lloyd Garr critical response Amistad received mainly positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from 67 critics with an average score of six 910 its consensus reads heartfelt without resorting to freakiness Amistad tells an important story with engaging sensitivity and absorbing skill Metacritic calculated an average score of 63 out of of 100 based on 23 reviews indicating generally favorable reviews audiences pulled by cinemascore gave the film an average grade of a on an A plus to f scale Susan sigen of USA Today summed up the feelings of many reviewers when she wrote as Spielberg Vehicles go Amistad part mystery action thriller courtroom drama even culture Clash comedy lands between the disturbing lyricism of Schindler's List and The Storybook artificiality Of The Color Purple Roger Ebert awarded the film three out of four stars writing Amistad like Spielberg's Schindler's List is about the ways good men try to work realistically within an evil system to spare a few of its victims Schindler's List works better as narrative because it is about a risky deception while Amistad is about the search for a truth that if found will be small consolation to the millions of exist ing slaves as a result the movie doesn't have the emotional charge of Spielberg's earlier film or of The Color Purple which moved me to tears what is most valuable about Amistad is the way it provides faces and names for its African characters whom the movies so often make into faceless victims in 2014 the movie was one of several disgust by Noah berlatsky in the Atlantic in an article concerning white savior narratives in film calling it sanctimonious Dil Morgan Freeman is very proud of the movie having said I loved the film I really did I had a moment of air during the killings I thought that was a little overwrought but Spielberg wanted to make a point and I understood that box office the film debuted at No 3 on Wednesday December 10th 1997 it earned 44 m229 441 at the box office in the United States Amistad movie review slavery could I suppose be seen largely as a matter of laws and property at least to those benefiting from it one of the astonishing facts revealed in Steven Spielberg's Amistad is that seven of the nine US Supreme Court justices in 1839 were slave owning Southerners his new film centers on the legal status of Africans who rise up against their captors on the high seas and are brought to trial in a New England Court slavery itself is not the issue instead the court must decide whether the defendants were born of slaves in which case they are guilty of murder or were illegally brought from Africa and therefore had a right to defend themselves against kidnapping This legal distinction is not made as clear as it could have been the international slave trade had been outlawed by treaties by 1839 the year of the landmark Amistad incident but but those who were already slaves remained the property of their masters as did their children the moral hair splitting underlying that distinction is truly depraved but on it depends the defense of sink the leader of the Africans and his fellow mutineers the film opens on the ship Amistad where sink Jim hansu is able to free himself from shackles and release his fellow prisoners they rise up against the Spanish crew of the ship which is taking them from a Havana slave market to another destination in Cuba the two men who bought them are spared and promis to guide the ship back to Africa but they guide it instead into US Waters and the Africans find themselves in an American Court luckily it is a northern court or they would have little chance at all they are unlucky at first with their defense team which is led by Roger Baldwin Matthew mccon a real estate lawyer who bases his case on property law and only slowly comes to see his clients as human beings the cause is supported by two Boston abolitionists a former slave named jod and Morgan Freeman and an immigrant named tapan stellin Skarsgard and eventually on appeal former President John Quincy Adams Anthony Hopkins argues eloquently for the freedom of the men Amistad like Spielberg's skinder list is not simply an argument against immorality we do not need movies to convince us of the evil of slavery and the Holocaust both films are about the ways good men try to work realistically within an evil system to spare a few of its victims Skyler's strategies are ingenious and suspenseful and lead to a more gripping and Powerful film than the legal tactics in Amistad where lawyers and powdered wigs try to determine the origin of men whose language they do not speak entirely apart from the moral issues involved Schindler's List works better as narrative because it is about a risky deception while Amistad is about the search for a truth that if found will be small consolation to the millions of existing slaves as a result the movie doesn't have the emotional charge of Spielberg's earlier film or of The Color Purple which moved me to tears the moments of greatest emotion in Amistad stand outside the main story they include a horrifying scene where with food running low on the ship the weaker captives are chained together and thrown over the side to drown so that more food will be left for the rest and another sequence in which the mechanics of the slave trade are examined as Africans capture members of enemy tribes and sell them to slave Traders a scene where sink sees African Violets in John Quincy Adams greenhouse and is seized with homesickness and sinks memory of his wife left in Africa what is most valuable about Amistad is the way it provides faces and names for its African characters whom the movies so often make into faceless victims the captive called sink emerges as a powerful individual a once free farmer who has lost his wife and family we see his wife and his village and something of his life we understand how cruy he was ripped from his life and Ambitions since it was the policy of Slavery to destroy African families these scenes are especially poignant he speaks no English but learns a little while in prison and a translator is found who helps him Express his dismay at a legal system that may free him but will not affirm the true nature of the crime against him he learns enough of Western Civilization to see its contradictions as in a scene where a fellow captive uses an illustrated Bible to explain how he can identify with Jesus and there is a touching scene between lawyer and client in which jodon at last talks to sink as a man and not as a piece in a puzzle give us free sink cries in a powerful moment in the courtroom indicating how irrelevant a not- guilty verdict would be to the real facts of his case Jim and hu's performance depends largely on his screen presence which is formidable some of the other performances are disappointing I was surprised how little importance or screen time was given to the Morgan Freeman character who in his few scenes indicates the volumes that remain concealed Matthew MC 's character is necessarily unfocused as the defense attorney he proceeds from moral blindness to a light that surprises no one and while we are happy for him we are not under the circumstances much moved Nigel hawor plays President Martin Van Beren who is portrayed as a spineless compromiser who wants only to keep the South off his back the character is played in the same note as his pathetic old George Roman 3 in The Madness of King George when more shrewd calculation might have been effective the heart of the film really is in Anthony Hopkins powerful performance as old John Quincy Adams who speaks for 11 minutes in defense of the defendants and holds the courtroom and the audience Spellbound it is one of the great movie courtroom speeches but in praising it I touch on the film's great weakness it is too much about the law and not enough about the victims ever since Spielberg began Amistad the story has been hyped and hailed as a great Untold chapter in American history an event to put beside Nat Turner's Uprising the story of sink certainly deserves more attention in textbooks but it is not an ideal story to make into a film Nat Turner would have been a better choice for Spielberg that John Quincy Adams wins his big case is a great achievement for him and a great relief for sink and his fellow captives but in the sad annals of American slavery it is a rather Hollow Triumph the film follows the events which occurred after the Revolt by enslaved Africans on board the slav ship Amistad it draws heavily upon the W Owens book Black Mutiny the revolt on the Schooner Amistad it describes the Africans capture their enslavement their purchase the overthrow of their captors and the subsequent trials in America where they won their freedom and eventual return to Africa featuring The notable actors Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins the film has gained a prominent place in the filmic representation of the Atlantic slave trade the film succeeds on the basis of two core themes suffering and survival the way in which these two are represented Mark the film as unique the opening scenes of the enslaved Africans overrunning the Amistad killing its crew and taking over sets the tone of the film and the audience is never allowed to forget the image of the muscular African screaming as he thrusts his sword into one of his former captors the enslaved Africans are not represented as supplicants they have fought for their freedom these images are coupled with representations of the middle passage which are often considered to be the most powerful aspect of the film in the hold of the slave ship the camera pans across the chain bodies of the enslaved sickness brutality mutilation and death are depicted in these scenes blood is splattered across the deck of the ship as the visceral horrors of enslavement are brought to attention suffering and survival are thereby expressed with the film's evident attention to the human body it is the human form which becomes the means by which the suffering of enslavement is portrayed the strength of the enslaved is celebrated and the legality of enslavement debated it is this expression of the corporeal which marks the film as Innovative and which has won its so many accolades the strong body the body in pain and the body in law form a means of comparison and contrast the muscular body which strikes against those who have imprisoned it is forcefully expressed the suffering body on the slave ship serves as a graphic reminder of the pain inflicted onto others the courtroom arguments that Center upon the ownership of the cargo of the Amistad are resolved only when this cargo is recognized as being human bodies this distinctive approach to the filmic representation of the Atlantic slave trade is also evident in the portrayal of African culture and identity sang the lead member of the enslaved Africans is shown as strong knowledgeable and highly intelligent rather than turn the story of the Amistad into a celebration of the kindness and generosity of white abolitionists sang is shown to be the instigator and cause of the freedom which is eventually granted to the enslaved Africans the complexities and diversity of African culture are also highlighted with the tribal divisions between those who were captured shown by differences between language culture and beliefs this difference of culture is also drawn attention to with the problems of communication between this group of Africans and American society this difficulty is shown to be felt most keenly by those who were former slaves who are now dislocated from their own African Heritage this struggle to comprehend one another can be contrasted with the final victory in the Supreme Court as understanding is revealed as the key by which Injustice can be recognized this message is not presented as too sacran though despite the film status as a major Hollywood film with major academics assisting with the project including Henry Louie Gates the film is well filmed and well researched its distinctiveness however is marked by the choice to focus on the human body to tell the story of the Amistad and through this the brutalities of the Atlantic slave trade other information about this film the forces of power racism and Justice momentously clash in Steven Spielberg's epic drama Amistad and artistically solid if not always dramatically exciting Chronicle of the 1839 Rebellion on board the Spanish slave ship of the title true story which few Americans have even heard about is presented as an international Intrigue of a high order one that involved the governments of preil War us Great Britain Spain and of course the 53 Africans held captive in the cramped cargo off the Cuban Coast boasting a high voltage cast led by Brits Anthony Hopkins and Nigel hawor Americans Morgan Freeman and Matthew mccon and most impressively West African Jim and hansu as the rebels leader this second release from Dreamworks should sail safely as a message film that touches on the very fabric of the American social system Spielberg's second foray in into African-American history is far more effective and moving than the color purple his compromised sanitized rendition of Alice Walker's novel thematically the new film is a logical Endeavor following Schindler's List though stylistically the two films are very different aiming to instruct as well as entertain and often struggling to reconcile these two Divergent goals Amistad lacks the subtlety of tone and the Simplicity of form that made the 1993 Oscar winning film so special in Spielberg's Irv the director strives a tad too hard to emphasize the universal elements of the 19th century case of Injustice using a deliberate visual style that accentuates and often inflates every single idea and image Spielberg Skeptics will find ammunition to criticize Amistad as too solemnly Earnest and too bombastic in its visual strategy in a powerful pre-credit sequence that evidences a conspicuously bold touch Spielberg shows how senp called sink by the Spaniards Begins the Rebellion when he breaks free of his shackles this violent scene partly responsible for pick R rating depicts graphically with mega close-ups and Rapid Montage the impalement of an officer on a sword from this point on David franzone's multifaceted script relates the Saga from the perspective of its Central victim a once free rice farmer who suddenly found himself a chained slave slave with sink hu the filmmakers provide the audience a most sympathetic figure and an emotional hook to absorb the sprawling drama as it hops from one continent to another after the rebels are caught and thrown into a New England prison story switches to Theodore J and Freeman a former slave who has joined forces with a businessman called tapen stellin scarg guard in the Abolitionist cause when the alad incident breaks the American Press labels it a massacre at sea but jodson perceives the Africans as Freedom Fighters attempting to enlist a decent attorney he ends up with Baldwin mccon a shady property lawyer nicknamed dung Scrapper for Baldwin the case represents a property not a human rights issue indeed in the trial positioned against hird Pete postal the nasty government prosecutor Baldwin tries desperately to prove that the Africans were not legally slaves that they were stolen goods because they were born in Africa and illegally kidnapped from their homes drama becomes intriguingly complex when broader political forces are brought to the surface fearing the Wrath of the South incumbent President Martin vanban Hawthorne who's running for re-election overturns the lower Court's decision which had favored the Africans he and his secretary of state fori David payer shamelessly pull strings behind the scenes and even appoint a new attorney the case goes to the Supreme Court where the Africans are defended by none other than John Quincy Adams Hopkins the former president and Son of Founding Father John Adams neither an abolitionist nor pro-slavery Adams is a reluctant hero an astute Incorruptible Puritan enamored of flowers and plants who initially refused to help a moralist at heart he throws himself wholeheartedly into defending the Africans in a f speech that summons the Declaration of Independence and other basic tenets of the American dream looking at the case from a Contempo POV the script contains some astutely cynical observations about politicians as when one official says is there anything more pathetic than an ex-president the statement refers to Adams but will send timely vibrations to present D viewers all along there are jokes about Spain's Queen Isabella Anna pacin a pubescent still playing with dolls who later continued to argue about the Amistad case with seven presidents though there are a number of Trials Spielberg shrewdly avoids the routine format of courtroom drama instead seamlessly integrating the numerous characters and their particular stands on the case yet every once in a while one senses an inner tension between Spielberg the mass Entertainer with his assured command of fcil camera and trademark pirate Technics and the genuine artist pressing for the simple core of the drama occasionally the film succumbs to the level of an anthropological survey viewing the Africans and their rituals as exotic curiosity though hu's dignified portrayal of sink as a man of outer strength and inner peace successfully counters this weakness regrettably the always brilliant Freeman is totally wasted as jodson functioning as no more than a link among the various episodes a possible result of the fact that his fictional character is a composite of several historical figures cast against type with shabby beard and big glasses to De glamorize his natural handsomeness mcon renders a passable performance failing to grab the opportunities of his substantial role playing a man older than his age Popkin shines throughout and once he takes Center Stage he ignites the screen with a Brava 11-minute argument that results in the freeing of the slaves and crushing the notorious loka slave Fortress the large inspired Ensemble hits its marks with small but succinctly drawn roles with Hawthorne as the pro slavery president pamer as the cunning Secretary of State and Skarsgard as the decent abolitionist tapan among others filmed in various locations in New England and Puerto Rico technically Amistad is an oral and visual pleasure due to John Williams emotional score Janice kaminsky's vibrant lensing Rick Carter's accurate production design and Ruth Carter's verified costumes all contributing to an authentic experience which is further enhanced by the African use of the menend language here's a word analogy Amistad is to the lost world as Schindler's List is to Jurassic Park in 1993 after Steven Spielberg made the monster Dino hit many critics described skander's list as the director's Penance as if there was a need for him to apologize for making a crowd pleasing Blockbuster now after a 3-year layoff Spielberg is back with avengeance once again his summer release was special effects loaded action adventure flick with Dinosaurs munching on human appetizers now following his 1993 pattern he has fashioned another serious inspirational Christmas release about the nature of humanity that film is Amistad although not as masterful as Schindler's List hastad is nevertheless a gripping Motion Picture thematically Rich impeccably crafted and intellectually stimulating the only area where this movie Falls a little short is in its emotional impact watching Schindler's List was a powerful almost spiritual experience Spielberg pulled us into the narrative absorbed Us in the drama then finally let us go exhausted and shattered 3 plus hours later aspects of the movie have stayed with me ever since Amistad while a fine example of film making is not as Transcendent the incident of the ship like Amistad is not found in any history books but considering who writes the texts that's not a surprise however the event is a part of the American Social and legal Fabric and while Amistad does not adhere rigorously to the actual account most of the basic facts are in order several mostly minor changes have been made to enhance the film's dramatic force on the whole while Amistad may not be faithful to all of the details of the situation it is true to the spirit and meaning of what transpired one stormy night during the summer of 1839 the 53 men imprisoned on the Spanish slave ship La Amistad Escape led by the lionhearted S Jim and hansu they take control of the vessel killing most of the crew a drift somewhere off the coast of Cuba and uncertain how to make their way way back to Africa they rely on the two surviving Spaniards to navigate the Eastward Journey they are tricked however and the lad which makes its way northward off the United States Eastern coastline is eventually captured by an American naval ship near Connecticut the kidnapped Africans are Shackled and thrown into prison charged with murder and piracy the first men to come to the African defense are abolitionists Theodore jodon Morgan Freeman and Lewis tapen stellen Skarsgard they are soon joined by Roger Baldwin Matthew mcanoy a property attorney of little repute aided by advice from former President John Quincy Adams Anthony Hopkins Baldwin proves a more persuasive orator than anyone gave him credit for and his Central argument that the prisoners were illegally kidnapped free men not property convinces the judge but powerful forces have aligned against Baldwin's cause current President Martin van bu Nigel Hawthorne eager to please Southern voters and 11-year-old Queen Isabella of Spain anap pacin begins pulling strings behind the scenes to ensure that none of the Africans goes free at its heart Amistad is a tale of human courage sink is a heroic figure whose Spirit remains unbreakable regardless of the pain and indignity he is subjected to he is a free man not a slave and while he recognizes that he may die as a result of his struggle he will not give it up effectively portrayed by newcomer Jim and hansu whose passion and Screen presence arrest our attention sink is the key to viewers seeing the amistat Africans as more than symbols in a battle of ideologies they are individuals and our ability to make that distinction is crucial to the movie's success to amplify this point Spielberg presents many scenes from the African's point of view detailing their occasionally humorous observations about some of the white man's seemingly strange rituals the larger struggle is of course one of defining Humanity as the Nazis felt justified in slaughtering Jews because they viewed their victims as subhuman so the pro-slavery forces of Amistad use a similar defense the abolitionists regard the Africans as men but the slavers and their supporters see them as animals or property in a sense the morality of slavery is on trial here with the Spectre of Civil War which would break out less than three decades later looming over everything Amistad presentation of the legal and political intricacies surrounding the trial are fascinating making this movie one of the most engrossing courtroom dramas in recent history four claimants come forward against the Africans the state which wants them tried for murder the queen of Spain who wants them handed over to her under the provision of an American Spanish treaty two American naval officers who claim the right of high sea Salvage and the two surviving Spaniards from La Amistad who demand that their property be returned to them Baldwin must counter all of these claims while facing a challenge to his own preconceived notions as the result of a relationship he develops with sink even though attorney and client are divided by a language barrier they gradually learn to communicate aside from sink who is a fully realized individ idual characterization is spotty but the acting is topnotch Matthew macconi successfully overcomes his pretty boy image to become Baldwin but the lawyer is never particularly well defined outside of his role in the La Amistad case likewise while Morgan Freeman and stellin Skarsgard are effective as jodson and tapan they are never anything more than abolitionists Nigel hawor who played the title character in The Madness of King George Pres Martin Van Beren as a spineless sofen to whom Justice Means far less than winning an election finally there's Anthony Hopkins whose towering portrayal of John Quincy Adams is as compelling as anything the great actor has recently done Hopkins who can convincingly play Such diverse figures as a serial killer an emotionally crippled English butler and Richard Nixon makes us believe that he is Adams his 10-minute speech about freedom and human values is unforget able one point of difference worth noting between Amistad and Schindler's List is this film's lack of a well-defined human villain Schindler's List had Ralph fen's superbly realized Amon goth who was not only a three-dimensional character but a personification of all that the Nazis stood for there is no such figure in Amistad the villain is slavery but an ideology no matter how evil is rarely the best adversary it is to spiel credit that he has fashioned such a compelling motion picture without a prominent antagonist amistades Trek to the screen which encountered some choppy Waters author Barbara Chase ribu has cried plagiarism a charge denied by the filmmakers comes in the midst of an upsurge of interest in the incident an opera of the same name opened in Chicago on November 29th 1997 numerous books about the subject are showing up on bookstore shelves it remains to be seen how much longevity the Amistad phenomena has but one thing is certain with Spielberg's rousing substantive film leading the way the spotlight has now illuminated this chapter of American History positive elements viewing this film permanently changes a person's perception of slavery especially that of early American slavery and slave trading a clear message celebrates Every Man's unique value human life is shown to have Great Value regardless of race the brutality perpetrated against the slaves is shown as inexcusable and vile in addition the story of Jesus life death and Resurrection is shown in lingering detail via a picture Bible acquired by sink the leader of the captured Africans when John Quincy Adams presents his case to the Supreme Court he calls on them to recognize right and wrong they do so when sink is forced to kill during the mutant a closeup of his face reveals that he does not kill for fun or even Revenge but to live his revulsion remorse and Terror are notably portrayed in his expression this is not senseless violence but it is extremely graphic in portrayal spiritual content at one point sink remarks that Christ lost his battle because he died but it is noted that he was without sin salvation is not the object of the lesson on Christ's life sexual content several scenes include brief but explicit scenes of full frontal nudity involving men and women a dark scene on the deck of the ship may also involve sexual assault but those images are difficult to see clearly violent content a twisting sword through a chest is shown under the flashing glare of nighttime lightning a line of 50 slaves including women and children are tied together and Drug overboard in in the middle of the sea by a weight of refuse they scream and flail as they Cascade over the side of the ship crude or profane language the word h is used once as an expletive other negative elements President Martin vanban drinks Brandy summary an important film as it relates to the American cultural landscape at least as important if not more so than Schindler's List that said both films include graphic violence and nudity this film is not for children or even Most teens and many adults may find the realistic depictions of violence and degradation here very difficult to watch as well more details when you think of the works of director Steven Spielberg the films that will likely first come to mind are probably those like Jurassic Park or Jaws for how they hold up as thrilling Blockbusters however it was the 199 7 historical drama Amistad that while it remains one of his most under discussed is also one of those films that has striking moments that is the director at his best even if the story is not it is a work that for all its flaws in its narrative Framing and overstuffed approach is still quite flooring in its simple moment even as it gets caught up in the legal drama that writer David frenzon makes its Central Focus there are some rather intriguing elements it is more than a bit misguided in its prevailing approach but it still discovers some moments of necessary cinematic Clarity amidst the noisy plot this is most felt in the beginning when we are introduced to S played by the consistently great Jim and hansu who is being held aboard a ship transporting slaves off the coast of the Spanish colony of Cuba in 1839 it is a grim opening though takes a liberating turn both cinematically and thematically when he manages to free himself from his shackles under the cover of night with lightning crackling across the sky s then leads an uprising by killing several of their captors and taking control of the ship it is a strong opening and makes for a compelling introduction that nothing else following it is able to quite match much of this comes from how the moment of freedom is shortlived as a betrayal by those they spare ends in their capture and imprisonment in America we then get introduced to a whole host of other characters historical and otherwise who take part in an extended legal battle to free the slaves that have been brought there such Focus feels Off the Mark dodging what should have been the more interesting storyline for a far less interesting one dominated by legal elements at the center of this is a miscast Matthew mccon in one of his earliest roles as the lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin who wearing a goofy wig and glasses will represent the captured men on behalf of abolitionists seeking to fight the barbaric institution of slavery he is less driven by this cause and there are moments of the film that are skeptical of his approach including in one scene of translation where it is clear just how out of his depth he is the biggest problem comes down to how much we are following the story through his eyes the way he treats the people he is representing feels more than a bit patronizing in ways that the film doesn't have a handle on not only is he often bad at a job that is already hard enough but he is the least significant character in the story yet becomes the one that the story often focuses on the most he eventually does come to understand the importance of this case but his journey of understanding is trit especially when seen in the trajectory of similar stories that Center on a white character coming to learn the horrors of the world that he remains immune to it is just boring and the less time we spend with Baldwin the better the film is thankfully the film does understand that its greatest asset remains in hu as s not only is the actor a strong screen presence in the opening scene of the Rebellion but he manages to smuggle in some greater depth to the character in The quieter scenes even when he is pushed to the side for all the structural problems that the film has in how it is conceived is through his presence that everything becomes elevated every time he is on screen we lean in and are able to forget get much of the Meandering Road it took to get back there to sit with him the film smartly makes the pivot to make s a more active participant in the trial and speak in his own defense as opposed to merely being a bystander in these scenes hu shines as he brings life to a passion and rage that had been largely absent from the rest of the film he is an understated performer who can shift into a mesmerizing monologue in the blink of an eye in a memorial sequence of sorts that is also a protest when one of his fellow captives dies there is no looking away from him and his ability to command the scene while this should have more centrally been a story about S as opposed to the lawyers and corrupt leaders around him what we do get ends up being riveting in ways that sneak up on you the way hansu is able to push the story Into the far deeper and more engaging emotional territory is a testament to the value of a good actor even in a less than perfect story there is an irony the film occasionally grapples with in how the case is primarily about whether s and the rest of the men were taken into slavery legally as opposed to under false pretenses the question is not about truth or morality as it becomes clear that the rules can be Rewritten at any time to suit those with an economic interest in continuing the exploitation no matter how much the story seems slightly enamored with the legal institutions that the film centers on the case Cas was always about power and nothing else by the time Baldwin finally begins to mount a strong legal defense that seems like it will work the prosecution conspires to replace the judge with a stooge they can more easily manipulate it becomes clear that no matter how much one has truth or morality on their side those willing to work a human being to death will not be constrained by shamelessness or consistency for all the ways the film is unwilling to focus on the most important parts of this story The Moments it sets its sights on the more honest and human moments draw Us in it's hard to recall a more Stark example of a director's absolute best and worst Tendencies on display and at such extremes back and forth and back and forth throughout the course of one single solitary movie Amistad not only boasts sequences equal to Spielberg's best but at times it's completely singular in its Mastery then at other times Amistad is a state pandering melodramatic history lesson that wallows in Spielberg's worst impulses this would Mark the first of Steven's Four toate Noble looks at American history like the others the more Amistad strives for nobility the more it becomes too important for its own good at its worst this dramatization modin American piety though admirable borders on unbearable yet when the movie steps back and shuts its mouth to observe the slave trade in unflinching brutality Amistad is a Flatout Masterpiece L Amistad was the name of a Spanish slave ship that as it approached American Waters fell Siege to one of the most dramatic slave revolts In The Bleak history of that trade and it occurred at Sea Spielberg opens the film with abrupt surrealism depicting this Uprising with a fever dream Artistry and in prolonged fashion it's mesmerizing strange ferociously hypnotic and possibly the most fantasmagorical thing Spielberg's ever done I honestly can't compare it to anything else in his entire Cannon once conquered the ship and its slaves are a drift eventually La Amistad is commandeered by US troops off the American Coast the slaves are caught in legal limbo between three different entities including Spain that each lay competing claims on the ship's property and with that Spielberg takes what held the promise of another radical Department into Uncharted Territory both for him as a filmmaker and us as an audience and turns it into the familiar a courtroom drama as legal dramas go this true case is obviously a fascinating one particularly as it would both implicitly and literally test the bounds of legalized slave trade in the United States the very ruling depending on where it landed and how it was worded could begin to question if any human could be legally defined as property the problem here however is that the cas's compelling legal details while discussed end up taking a back seat to a whole lot of speechifying not just in court but also in recess conversations at home during meals on the streets or with the slaves the topic is debated with grandio rhetoric between lawyers activists and politicians it's overly scripted and staged and more suited for the stage not the screen as characters speak with varying degrees of self- ort American human and constitutional ideals are proclaimed with a self-conscious awareness of their historical moment expressed through heavy-handed symbols metaphors gestures and declarations and when these people aren't in effect telling us how Noble they are John Williams overstated music does beautifully compose though it is both are often equal offenders working in tandem the story subjects can be squared off into two Cate ories elements that require Spielberg's empathy slavery Christianity from those that already have his L held sympathies namely American government and constitutional idealism ironically the more connected Spielberg feels to certain scenes and material the worse off at lands he wields his biases well-placed though they are like a moral Sledgehammer from a top a soap box conversely the less that Spielberg speaks the language of something the African experienc Christian doctrine the more authentically and effectively it's rendered or in more simple terms if it's white people they're grandstanding but if it's black people it's devastating along with the film's powerful opening there's another sequence about halfway through that takes us Into The Gauntlet of the slave trade its systemic structure and dehumanizing in humanity violent and harrowing this lengthy flashback tracks how sink the leader of the slave Mutiny was captured processed and shipped and how he came to be on the Amistad once at Sea even more Horrors meet sink and his fellow slaves on their transatlantic Journey it's as unsettling and graphic as anything in Schindler's List and matches 12 Years a Slave at its most sadistic and cruel the courtroom scene by contrast are packed with bald face contrivances dramatic excesses and plenty of gavel banging the give us free disturbance is a crass manipul ation of the first order Amistad is much less convincing and much more forced when it's debating the issues than when it's depicting them the abolitionists Morgan Freeman and stellen Skarsgard farare much better than the crusading lawyer Matthew mccon or Statesman ex-president John Quincy Adams Anthony Hopkins all are honorable even heroic but the latter seem particularly aware of the very history they're forging with each word that escapes their lips the most compelling characters are the ones who don't speak English led by Jim and hansu as sink the name Talent is impressive certainly Hopkins in particular but also too mannered the African cast is vibrant charismatic and brings a welcome intensity to the American heirs but along with that also notes of quiet Grace and strength hu displays passionate rage and deep rooted wisdom with equal veracity in one of the film's most surprising scenes Spielberg portra trays an extended exchange about the life of Jesus it's shared to sink by a fellow slave he has gleaned Christ's story through drawings in a Bible there in Christ from Death to Resurrection the slave has found strength and hope the conversation is as full and clear a gospel presentation as you'll ever hear in a major Motion Picture This Side of an actual Jesus movie and credit Spielberg whose biases are with Judaism for granting that much screen time reverently no less to the gospel message even though it does nothing to propel The Narrative and yet the climactic scene which was entirely necessary and factual Rings false this lengthy closing argument by former president Adams comes off as a lecture and for nearly 20 minutes the movie shoves it down our throats it's exactly the kind of stultifying historical reenactment that could have used a hamiltones revolutionary jolt in the aesthetic form despite despite the wildly mixed results Amistad remains a mustsee with profoundly visceral sequences that are simply not to be missed if only the entire film were made up of them when it comes to Spielberg's American historical dramas Amistad is arguably the best of the four whenever it's not spending half its time being the worst this film directed by Steven Spielberg written by David frenzon produced by Steven Spielberg Debbie Allen Colin Wilson starring Morgan Freeman Nigel hawor Anthony Hopkins Jim and hansu Matthew mccon David pamer Pete postalo stellin Skarsgard cinematography Janus Kaminsky edited by Michael KH music by John Williams ction company HBO pictures distributed by DreamWorks Pictures release date December 10th 1997 running time 154 minutes country United States languages English mend Spanish budget $39 million box office 58.3 million so guys this is the review of Amistad movie and some information about it how do you like our today's video please let us know by commenting and if you like this video please like it [Music]