Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Slave Traitors
Director Steven Spielberg's AMISTAD, has been criticized by some, for being too sensationalized. Having watched the film again, I came away not able to agree with those folks, not entirely anyway. The film chronicles the story of a group of enslaved Africans, and their quest to be free. When the slaves overtake the ship they are traveling on, so that they may go back to their homeland, the ship is seized, and brought to the newly dormed United States Of America. The slaves are charged with murder, and must stand trial for their crimes, where prison awaits. For the slaves of La Amistad, it is their freedom that is at stake, For the U.S., it's foundation of justice is tested as well. An all star cast brings this story to life. (The always great) Morgan Freeman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey, and then-newcomer Djimon Hounsou as slave Cinqué, give solid performances in the film and hold your attention for the entire movie.. I think the film is suffers from a bit of heavy handedness for its climax, but I don't think that it's all that much, as some make it out to be. It certainly doesn't detract from the film, and I can think of a few films that are worse offenders than AMISTAD. The DVD is pretty sparse when it comes to extras. It includes a few production notes, a (written) word from Spielberg, cast and crew information, and the theatrical trailer. The most substantial extra is a making of featurette that reads like a bloated commercial for the film. Taken at face value, the movie is worth a look, and gets a solid four stars
Rating: - So what if history is made more entertaining?
Have the critics of this film's historical "accuracy" never heard of "dramatic license"? If they had, then they would understand that Spielberg, like most of his profession, slightly alters history to make for greater theatrical effect or even heighten the events of the story. "Amistad" achieves both with scenes of horror combined with those of great poignancy that make for a total movie experience. While there are times when the film drags, the performances and the engrossing story itself make up for the few inadequacies. Though stars Morgan Freeman (especially riveting in the inspection of the Amistad scene), Anthony Hopkins, and Matthew McConaughey perform well in their respective roles, the best acting belongs to Djimon Hounsou, Razaag Adoti, and Abu Bakarr Fofanah as three of the Africans, and the underrated Pete Postlethwaite as prosecutor Holabird. Nigel Hawthorne, as the inept President Van Buren, and Peter Firth as a conscious-ridden British ship captain are also memorable. Spielberg skillfully balances a movie that is a courtroom drama mixed with an indictment against the slave system of America's past. The scenes of the events of the cursed "Middle Passage" are as graphic as is possible within the confines of Hollywood filmmaking. John Williams contributes a beautiful and understated score, just below the surface of the on-screen events, providing just enough to carry the story along.
Rating: - The Wrong Eyes
I liked this movie, though it was uneven and more than a bit melodramatic. There were great performances in it by Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, and the actor who portrayed Cinque. The slave ship scenes were as brutal as they were beautiful, and that leads to the first of the film's two major problems. It seems that Spielberg, master storyteller, though he be, can only tell one kind of story--the neat, uplifting one. He makes even ugly seem beautiful, and thereby palatable. I don't want to overstate my point, but here it is: I did not feel the kind of ANGER or OUTRAGE that I, as an African American, should have upon viewing such a subject. The second problem is the film's point of view. Most reviewers have written that the film is done from the Africans' point of view. I disagree. The point of view is shared--at most. Here is a neat way to do a movie like this the next time a director gets the urge to, and then you'll understand my problem with Amistad's point of view: why not have the AFRICANS speak English and have the AMERICANS speak some sort of made up gibberish language? Then the viewer will have total empathy for the slaves and begin to get some inkling of what it must have been like to be stolen from your home and brought to this strange land in chains.
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