Rating: 
Summary: Spielberg's history lesson
Review: Stephen Spielberg directs another cracking film telling the story of pre-Civil War American history and the 1840s trials of African slaves who rebel and are taken prisoner to America where their vision of the land of the free soon becomes a horrendous scene of slavery and the battle to enforce its abolition. Essentially this film lives and dies in the courtroom but Spielberg also creates some wonderful historic images of the prelude to the Africans' capture. Admittedly there are the usual typecast figures of evil (Spanish sailors) and good (Morgan Freeman as the appointed Chief) but this is definitely a great film. Pitched into the centre of the justice system which seems determined to prejudice the hopes of the Africans is a future American president, a young revolutionary lawyer, a fervent abolitionist, all of whom join forces to fight against the High Court where the case reaches its final verdict. There is certainly no absence of action or emotion and Spielberg addresses the plight and issues of slavery with the collective genius we have come to expect from this director. This is by no means his best film since it is, in plot and occasionally character, flawed but certainly worth having a look at if you've got an evening in with little else to do.
Rating: 
Summary: MORE THAN A MOVIE ABOUT LA AMISTAD
Review: AMISTAD tells the story of 1839 events involving a shipload of slaves who, having freed themselves from their captors aboard the cruel slaver La Amistad, try to sail back home. Instead they are tricked into sailing north and are captured in New England. The trial that resulted began in insignificance but escalated until it drew in some of the most powerful individuals of the time, especially former President John Quincy Adams. The fact-based thriller transcends itself in Spielberg's epic. Yes, the story is one of heroism on the part of men trying to secure their freedom. But the real importance of AMISTAD is its gritty, nauseating portrayal of slavery and of those who fought it and of those who espoused it. It tells of how many of the ridiculous politicians of the time continued to bury their heads in the sand rather than take the hard steps that would require America and Americans to live up to the creeds and beliefs that had made them what they were. Djimon Honsou (GLADIATOR) is wonderful in his portrayal of Cinque, the reluctant leader of the band of Africans. Matthew McConaughey portrays Lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin, Morgan Freeman is Mr. Joadson and Anthony Hopkins is absolutely striking in the role of John Quincy Adams. John Williams provides one of his most soaring and original soundtracks ever. THE HORSEMAN
Rating:
Summary: Off the hook...
Review: This movie takes my race off the hook for slavery, sort of. Whew! Now maybe African-Americans will point their fingers at the Spanish people instead of mine. Maybe I'm seeing things, but Steven tells this story like American white people's crap smells better than everyone else who participated in slavery. Maybe I just have too many African-American friends, have heard too many stories from the mouths of their grandparents or I have read too many books. I thought Steven was all into realism, but I guess not when it comes to whipping blacks. Shooting Jews is okay to present realistically, but the treatment of Black prisoners who get all upset that they can't bury their dead... They start whooping and hollering, and dancing like Shaka Zulu, but anyone who's seen any footage of the civil rights movement in the 1960's knows that they would have been beaten for their impudence. It's the Spanish who dump them overboard, but I'm supposed to believe that they wouldn't have been flogged into hamburger if they got uppity in an American prison? I believe that kidnapped Africans took over a slave ship, because that happened. But it was a Spanish ship wasn't it? On an American ship, those Africans would have stayed put. "Give us free" indeed! As dramas go, fine, it's good. But even I, a white guy, can see the displacement of America's part in the slave trade, legally or illegally. All the heroes of this film are white. They had Morgan Freeman for goodness sakes! He can make speeches too you know! Ever see "Glory"? I am a Caucasian at grips with the history of my race in the USA. Black comedians build their careers on trash-talking white people, untalented black film makers would have no careers without us white villains, so no film about black people and their struggle here will ever make me feel guilty, and I like to think I'm not the only one. Times have changed. Humanity has matured since then, and white and black people get closer and closer with each generation as racism is slowly but surely filtered out of our respective cultures. Isn't it time for a movie that truthfully illustrates the reality and stone cold evil of the slave industry? Not just Whites or Europeans, but blacks too? This was a good Drama, and is good to get people thinking of the terrible mistakes of the past, but it doesn't truthfully present these Africans, what they had to do for their freedom and what really happened when the Americans got a hold of them. Believe me; the case was not ever about the moral question of slavery and they end the story too soon, just in time to avoid the fact that Tappan and his associates tried to found an African mission, using Cinque's party as a nucleus and how Cinque had established himself as an independent power and became a successful slave trader himself. This would have been a better miniseries, done by a director more compelled to tell the truth. It is a very good drama however.
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful and Shameful
Review: The word "poweful" has become a cliche when describing movies, which is unfortunate. However this film contains material that really moved me to strong emotion- something rare in today's bland entertainment market. Amistad does not simplify slavery as the above reviewer stated- rather it shows the audience the reality of slavery, and that we as a nation were guilty of supporting a terrible injustice. America embraced slavery for many years after most of our European friends had abolished it- a fact clearly demonstrated in this film by the presence of a british naval officer tasked with finding and destroying a carribean slave base. This movie does revolve around the courtroom, but does so in a way that is both entertaining and educational. It shows how even the best courts can be warped or crippled by political influence and red tape. The characters are simple yet believable. In particular the roles of Cinque and John Q. Adams are played masterfully. The speech given by Adams at the conclusion is a word-for-word transcript of his actual speech given to the Supreme Court. This speech is one of the more bold and patriotic speeches given in American history, and gives me goose bumps every time I read/see it. Amistad is an exceptional movie that forces the viewer to look back on our past with an unflinching eye and embrace both our courage and our shame as a nation.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and Shameful
Review: The word "powerful" has become a cliche when describing movies, which is unfortunate. However this film contains material that really moved me to strong emotion- something rare in today's bland entertainment market. Amistad does not simplify slavery as the above reviewer stated- rather it shows the audience the reality of slavery, and that we as a nation were guilty of supporting a terrible injustice. America embraced slavery for many years after most of our European friends had abolished it- a fact clearly demonstrated in this film by the presence of a british naval officer tasked with finding and destroying a carribean slave base. This movie does revolve around the courtroom, but does so in a way that is both entertaining and educational. It shows how even the best courts can be warped or crippled by political influence and red tape. The characters are simple yet believable. In particular the roles of Cinque and John Q. Adams are played masterfully. The speech given by Adams at the conclusion is a word-for-word transcript of his actual speech given to the Supreme Court. This speech is one of the more bold and patriotic speeches given in American history, and gives me goose bumps every time I read/see it. Amistad is an exceptional movie that forces the viewer to look back on our past with an unflinching eye and embrace both our courage and our shame as a nation.
Rating:
Summary: Slave Traitors
Review: 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:
Summary: powerful, powerful film
Review: A film by Steven Spielberg "Amistad" is a fact based account of a 1839 revolt by African slaves on the slaveship La Amistad, and the legal trial in the United States over what exactly should be done with them after they were rescued (and imprisoned) on American soil. "Amistad" was Spielberg's first serious work since "Schindler's List" (not counting "Jurassic Park 2" which was also released in 1997), and it should be counting among the best movies of 1997. It is a powerful film. The central story is that of the African slaves. The movies focuses on one particular slave, Cinque (Djimon Honsou), so that we have someone to be interested in, and so that the human story of their experiences can be told. They were able to overthrow the slavers while on the slave ship, but their captive was able to sail them to America rather than back to Africa. Upon arrival in America, the slaves are promptly captured by American soldiers and imprisoned until their status can be ascertained. As the lawyer for the Africans, Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey) says in the movie, "it is a matter of property." Who owns the slaves? The soldiers who captured the slaves claim ownership as salvage. The slavers claim ownership citing a legal purchase of the slaves in Cuba. The government of Spain claims ownership. The Africans say they are free men. Who owns the slaves? Are they legal property? This central question is what the movie revolves around and works towards answering. We learn the answer early in the movie, but the question is what can Baldwin prove before the courts, and will the courts listen to him? Steven Spielberg did a good job in showing that this was not just a case of the white man jumping and rescuing the black man. That did exist here, but Spielberg showed just how central and important Cinque was, how his actions and his words were what helped the case for the Africans the most. All the while, Baldwin and Joadson (Morgan Freeman), a freed slave, are entreating former President John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) to become an advocate on behalf of the Africans. As I mentioned earlier, this is a very powerful film. There is an extended sequence were Spielberg shows the experience of the slave ship and it is so horrible that I don't think I can put words to it. While "Amistad" may not rank quite as high as "Schindler's List" or "Saving Private Ryan" on the list of great movies, this is an excellent movie that deals with a subject usually ignored. This is a slower paced film, with more time spend talking and in the courtroom, but it is a very good one, too.
Rating:
Summary: Amistad - A lesson from History
Review: Director Steven Spielberg Writer David Franzoni Stars Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, David Paymer, Pete Postlethwaite, Stellan Skarsgard, Razaaq Adoti, Abu Bakaar Fofanah, Anna Paquin, Tomas Milian, Ralph Brown, Peter Firth, Jeremy Northam, Arliss Howard, Pedro Armendariz, Jerry Molen Running time 152 minutes
Release Year 1998 Amistad is set in the 1830s and tells the true story of Africans shackled and taken from their homes and forced on to the Spanish slave ship Amistad. There they are beaten, starved and some are thrown into the ocean, chained together and left to drown. The inhumane conditions on the ship are un-imaginable to anyone viewing this film. Eventually, the Africans take over the ship by killing the crew and forcing the Captain to route them back to Africa, so they thought. Eventually the Captain routes the ship toward America, where American coastguards board the ship and take them to America for trial for murder. A local abolitionists, played by Morgan Freeman, teams with a real-estate attorney, played by Matthew McConaughey, to help them fight for their freedom. Political problems are against them at every turn with President Van Buren, played by Nigel Hawthorne, campaigning for re-election by being pro-slavery and a civil war riding on the case's verdict. The President plays his political hand and the trial looks to be doomed until the team convinces ex-President John Quincy Adams, played by Anthony Hopkins, to help them take on the Supreme Court to help win the freedom of these 50 Africans and maintain humanity among mankind. Since it is based on a truestory, this movie is great for those who love history or those who are studying slavery, the law or civil war.
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT MOVIE WITCH RECOUNT THE FOUL SLAVERY
Review: STEVEN SPIELBERG speak with this MARVELLOUS MOVIE of the FILTHYS BOATS OF SLAVERY SINCE 1492 CHRISTOPHE COLOMB THROUGHT AND EVER SINCE AND DURING THE BLOODBATH OF THE AMERICANS INDIANS PEOPLE WHO HAD SUBSTUTUED THEM ! A long rehabilitation many centuries is not enought sufficient but the gesture is beginning beside the Government.... FINALLY ! ... DJIMOUN HOUNSOU and the three protagonists actors with him forms a VERY GOOD TEAM AS ANTHONY HOPKINS and many OTHERS ! THE RACES AR'NT ! NOT BLACK NOT RED NOT WHITE ... JUST HUMAN ... A splendid DVD MOVIE STILL AGAIN BY STEVENS SPIELBERG WONDERFUL AND NOT ENOUGHT LONG ARE THE DESCRIPTIVE SCENARIO... ALAS ... BUT WONDERFULL ************
Rating: 
Summary: Melodramatic courtroom drama disguised as slave history
Review: This movie could be really good if it focused on the Middle Passage. The brief segement on the slave ship was by far the best sequence in the film. But the rest of the movie is dull, sappy, and overblown. Also, its not very historically accurate. This is not a problem dramatically ("Nixon" for example:great drama, horrible history), but its a personal pet peeve of mine. Also, as a history teacher, I find it disturbing that teachers were encouraged to use the film for educational purposes when it was released.
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