The slave ship Amistad is sailing from Cuba to America on a long journey led by Cinque. During that journey, the slaves are trying to make a real uprising for their release. But slaves have been held in Connecticut and their release has become controversial and an exciting issue. On the other hand, Theodore Judson of the Syndicate tries to acquit others. Theodore recruited Roger Baldwin as a lawyer to help his case. In the end, John Quincy Adams became an ally of these slaves.
Spielberg seems to be dividing his filmmaking output into two distinct halves: in the summer months cranking out no-brainer dinosaur flicks...in the winter season unveiling his serious artistic stuff to edify the adults and woo the Oscar crowd.
Fortunately, the dry, courtroom banter is interjected with powerful accounts of the violent, inhumane atrocities inflicted on the slaves by Spanish merchants.
Houston Chronicle
January 01, 2000
Halfway into Amistad comes the point where Steven Spielberg pulls the lever, and the stink and horror and bestialities of slavery spill around our ankles. We can't look away.
EmanuelLevy.Com
February 13, 2006
Aiming to instruct and entertain, and often struggling to reconcile these goals, Amistad lacks the subtlety of tone and simplicity of form that made Schindler's List one of Spielberg's very best; here, however, every idea and image are too explicit.
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.
Looking Closer
December 06, 2004
This is the most straightforward, understated, and powerful big-screen representation of the gospel in recent movie history. And for that, Amistad should be recommended to everyone.
Amistad is worth seeing just for people to know about this important story, this moment in history. But from the world's most powerful, successful and famous director, we expect more.
