Amistad (1997) - IMDb
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About a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that is traveling towards the northeastern coast of America. Much of the story involves a court-room drama about the free man who led the revolt.
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Nominated for         4         Oscars. Another       9 wins & 38 nominations. See more awards  »
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Storyline
Amistad is the name of a slave ship traveling from Cuba to the U.S. in 1839. It is carrying a cargo of Africans who have been sold into slavery in Cuba, taken on board, and chained in the cargo hold of the ship. As the ship is crossing from Cuba to the U.S., Cinque, who was a tribal leader in Africa, leads a mutiny and takes over the ship. They continue to sail, hoping to find help when they land. Instead, when they reach the United States, they are imprisoned as runaway slaves. They don't speak a word of English, and it seems like they are doomed to die for killing their captors when an abolitionist lawyer decides to take their case, arguing that they were free citizens of another country and not slaves at all. The case finally gets to the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams makes an impassioned and eloquent plea for their release. Written by M Parkinson, Sarasota, FL, USA
A true story. See more  »
Genres:
Rated R for some scenes of strong brutal violence and some related nudity | See all certifications  »
Parents Guide:
25 December 1997 (USA) See more  »
Also Known As:
Amistad - Das Sklavenschiff See more  »
Filming Locations:
$4,661,866                (USA) (12 December 1997)
Gross:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Baldwin's statement at 33:30 that "the only way one may sell or purchase slaves is if they are born slaves, as on a plantation" refers to the fact that the importation of slaves into the United States was made illegal in 1808. Article 1, section 9 of the US Constitution protected the slave trade for 20 years following ratification, making 1808 the earliest that such restrictions could legally be enacted.
This law was commonly flouted, as the events of the movie depict. However, there was a definite effort on the part of the United States to enforce the law, and the role of the Navy was expanded to include patrols off the coasts of Cuba and South America to intercept slave ships. See more »
Goofs
Ruiz and Montes were not ordered arrested by Judge Coglin as part of his verdict; the abolitionist lawyers had charged them with assaulting their clients. They were found guilty and sentenced to prison while the main case was pending. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Ruiz : [to Pedro Montes] That one wants us to sail them back. That one thinks he can sail all the way back without us.
The events depicted did not historically occur at Fort El Morro See more »
Connections
(United States) – See all my reviews
I am a fan of historically-based dramas. I enjoy the genre, and Amistad did not disappoint me. It is well shot, the look and feel is quite right, and it pulls no punches in its cruel depiction of the slave trade.
Amistad shows this terrible business better than any other film I've ever seen. It portrays all the horrors: the capture of Africans at the hands of rival tribes; the abusive loading of slaves onto ships; the deplorable conditions; the murder and violence conducted in the name of economics; the hopelessness of the slaves' position; the crass indifference felt by the traders, auctioneers, owners and passers-by. Spielberg pulled few punches, only darkening the worst scenes to keep it from degenerating into some Rob Zombie horror film (thereby retaining an audience).
The film also does a good job with the portrayal of the heroes, the slaves who fought for their freedom aboard the schooner Amistad. You can really feel their anger, confusion, and frustration as the events unfold. They are a people pushed from one holding cell to another, subjected to trials and procedures incomprehensible to them (both for language barriers and for the inanity of it all).
One part the filmmakers did a fine job with was the communication barrier. Some of the best scenes involve the ignorance of the Connecticut gentry as they stare blankly at the Africans as they speak their tongue; incompetent linguists stating the obvious and disguising it as "science"; lawyers trying to figure out the slaves' stories; and finally the leader of the escaped Africans declaring "Give us free!" That part really stood out for me.
There are a few criticisms I can lay upon this film, however. Firstly, they didn't do that great of a job in portraying courtroom drama. Filmed in '97, this film predates some great television courtroom dramas (Law & Order, The Practice). Much of what happens in court is either boring or confusing or pointless. I think if Spielberg was able to study some of these great courtroom dramas, these parts would have had a lot more "punch". Having said that, Anthony Hopkins did some fine delivery as John Quincy Adams...
Another element I disliked was the clumsy interweaving of the "Big Slavery Picture" elements. There's a scene at President Van Buren's state dinner where Senator John Calhoun of South Carolina shows up and makes threats of civil war. The scene was really just thrown in there to try to put in some jeopardy, but the film was doing just fine without that. The intrigue between Van Buren and the Spanish girl queen was really nice, however (a very young Anna Paquin!).
The last element that didn't work too well was Morgan Freeman's character, Joadson. He really comes across as little more than an extra. He's such a fine actor, the script doesn't do him justice.
For the most part, this is a fine, and important, film. It just misses a few marks that would have made it a great film.
8 out of 10.
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