Amistad (1997)

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.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writer:

David Franzoni

Stars:

Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Morgan Freeman	...	Theodore Joadson
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Martin Van Buren
Anthony Hopkins	...	John Quincy Adams
Djimon Hounsou	...	Cinque
Matthew McConaughey	...	Roger Sherman Baldwin
David Paymer	...	Secretary John Forsyth
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Holabird
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Tappan
Razaaq Adoti	...	Yamba
Abu Bakaar Fofanah	...	Fala
Anna Paquin	...	Queen Isabella
Tomas Milian	...	Calderon
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Ensign Covey
Derrick N. Ashong	...	Buakei
Geno Silva	...	Ruiz

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.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | mutiny | slave ship | slave trade | courtroom | 

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Taglines:

A true story.

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some scenes of strong brutal violence and some related nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mende Spanish Portuguese

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amistad

Filming Locations:

Marble House - 596 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,661,866 (USA) (12 December 1997)

Gross:

$44,175,394 (USA) (3 April 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

155 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jake Weber played opposite Anthony Hopkins again the following year in Meet Joe Black (1998).

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Goofs

During the first trial, when Captain Fitzgerald replies: "His description of the slave fortress, for one thing", at the word "fortress" he clearly can be seen saying something else than what is heard. Also, this whole half sentence has noticeably different acoustics from the rest of his lines. Obviously, because it is dubbed.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

The events depicted did not historically occur at Fort El Morro

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Connections

Referenced in Cleanflix (2009)

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Soundtracks

Dry Your Tears, Afrika
(Choral text of Dry Your Tears, Afrika)
Exerpted from the poem by Bernard Dadié

User Reviews

A film unfairly compared to box office winners that should have received far more recognition.

I do not attend more than a handful of movies a year at a theatre. I rent far more videos, Amistad being one of them. As I recall, Amistad did not wow the theatrical audiences big-time. But the expression "big-time" seems to indicate numbers of dollars and attendees. I am also a big fan of Anthony Hopkins and remember him as a compelling actor long before his Oscar role. I believe that he and the African actor Djimon Hounsou should have been seriously considered for acting awards. I don't recall that any were given or even suggested. The cinematography, set decoration, lighting, and editing were extraordinary. I was reminded that interior spaces in the 1830's were not garishly lit Hollywood sets with dramatic shadows. Perhaps the costuming was a bit overdone. Many of the actors appeared "dressed". The most emotionally devastating episodes for me were the barbaric transporting and drowning of the slaves. I literally held my hands over my face as these scenes unfolded. I hope this film lives on to become a classic. My respect for Spielberg's artistry has been taken to another level. Other viewers have commented on static qualities of this film. Well, folks, This was not "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Judgement at Nuremberg"; it was historic filmmaking in more than one way. It was accurate, literate, and not politically correct or incorrect. Bravo, Dreamworks!