Amistad Movie Information

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Movie Information

Overall Rank: 1543

Average Rating: 2.9/4

# of Ratings: 179

Theatrical Release Date: 12/12/1997

Language: English

Genre: Drama, Historical

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Steven Spielberg

Actors: Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Pete Postlethwaite

Plot: 1839 - the slave ship Amistad is on its way from Cuba to the U.S. when there is an uprising led by a former African tribal leader. Landing in America, instead of freedom, they are once again captured and bound - but an abolitionist lawyer takes their case - arguing they are not slaves, but free citizens from another country. The outcome will not be decided until it reaches the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams presides. -- Chris Kavan

Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 08/04/2019

"Amistad" is one of Spielberg's hollow Oscar bait films, but it isn't without good performances and a few decent scenes.

Yojimbo - wrote on 10/20/2012

Far more contrived and therefore less powerful than Schindler's List, this is still a worthy drama tackling another of the most monstrous chapters in our history. It's also nice to see an American film where the Brits are the good guys for a change!

mitchellyoung - wrote on 09/17/2010

One of Steven Spielberg's underrated later masterpieces. The acting is top notch, but the story is what really shines through - inspiring and also reminding of a tough period in American history.

Daniel Corleone
Movie God

Amistad review

Daniel Corleone - wrote on 12/31/2011

Sengbe Pieh (Djimon Hounsou), or "Cinqué", breaks free from his shackles in the ship Le Amistad. The Amistad Africans are held captive municipal jail in New Haven, Connecticut for trial. Theodore Joadson (Morgan Freeman) and Christian activist Lewis Tappan (Stellan Skarsgård) help Atty. Roger Sherman Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey) in defending the case of the African’s. Roger and Theodore seek assistance from a translator and a former President/member of the US House of Representatives John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins).

The most powerful scenes are the ones shown in the ship where the African’s are treated maliciously. Some reservations this reviewer had were the lack of Freeman’s participation in his character, pace of the story tends to slow down during the first …