This is a Resurfaced review written in 2002 or earlier. For more information, please visit this link: Resurfaced Reviews.

Amistad

Rating

Director

Steven Spielberg

Screenplay

David Franzoni

Length

2h 35m

Starring

Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, David Paymer, Pete Postlethwaite, Stellan Skarsgård, Razaaq Adoti, Abu Bakaar, Fofanah, Anna Paquin, Tomas Milian, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Derrick N. Ashong

MPAA Rating

R

Basic Plot

On a slave ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean, a rebellion occurs that temporarily frees a band of West African slaves. Taken to America by their dishonest captorsy land luckily in Northern territories where Slavery isn’t a way of life. In order to get the men free, a property lawyer and an ex-President, John Quincy Adams, must unite against a Civil-War-opposing President bent on gaining re-election.

Review

When Steven Spielberg chooses to take on high drama, it couldn’t fall into better hands. Not only is Spielberg a master in Fantasy features, he can also wield his camera in the direction of oppression, as is the case with Amistad, similar in manner to both his previous great works The Color Purple and Schindler’s List.

He assembles a stellar cast with some great actors and some who never had been that great, while bending each one into believable characters and giving us light into most of their lives. Nigel Hawthorne and Matthew McConaughey are the least shining in the filmy can never seem to reach past their previous accomplishments to give better performances, rather identical and sometimes sub-par. Then there’s Morgan Freeman, always a great actor given a tiny role that he plays well, but cannot be crowed about because it is not as prominent as others. Next is Anna Paquin as the 11-year-old Queen Isabella II of Spain, not the greatest of performances, but then again, she’s young and so was the Queen and she captures a naive, yet inescapable monarch and comes off as sufficient in the end.

Djimon Hounsou bursts onto the screen in this film like no other actor in recent memory. He speaks very few lines of English, but conveys enough emotion in his body language and especially his facial expressions that we are easily mesmerized by his charisma and presence and believe fully in his strife. Not to be outdone, however, is the marvelous Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins plays former President John Quincy Adams, a known abolitionist by practice, if not by his own words. Hopkins conveys frailty and conviction in the way few actors today can. We feel his pain as an elderly man, but celebrate his vigor, not to mention his humorous side-lines. Amistad’s visual looks is quite appealing and on top of that are the images of slavery, which, for the most part, carry the entire film, save for one shining light during Hopkins’ memorable speech before the Supreme Court.

Spielberg is a natural at portraying sickness, hunger, death and all horrible feelings that could be associated with slavery. His opening sequence easily blends the flickering lighting with the mutiny aboard La Amistad. During a later scene, when the story of Cinque’s capture and the slaves’ treatment is told, he awes us with his power to bring tears to your eyes as you see the injustices hefted on the unwilling slaves. Amistad, with its occasionally boring rantings, is not as good as The Color Purple or Schindler’s List or as emotionally and physically charged as this year’s Titanic, it is still a great motion picture and should be recognized as such in our lives as well as our hearts.

Awards Prospects

A Best Picture nomination is nearly assured as is a Supporting Actor nod for Anthony Hopkins. A director nod could come along with the picture nomination as could an Adapted Screenplay nod. In the tech area, look for likely nominations in Actor for Djimon Hounsou, Cinematography, Film Editing, Costume Design and Original Score. Art Direction, Makeup, Sound and Sound Effects nominations are not assured, but are always likely with Spielberg Films, Sound and Art Direction long before Sound Effects with Makeup falling in between.

Review Written

Unknown