Amistad [1997] | ![Amistad [1997]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51keiAE8H8L._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Arliss Howard, Tomas Milian, Austin Pendleton
Studio: Dreamworks Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £3.98
You Save: £6.01 (60%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 3666
Languages: Danish (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Finnish (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), Swedish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), German (Dubbed)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 148
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
UPC: 678149098129
EAN: 0067814909752
ASIN: B000055Z96
Theatrical Release Date: January 25, 2001
Release Date: January 29, 2001
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg's most simplistic, sanitised history lesson, Amistad, explores the symbolic 1840s trials of 53 West Africans following their bloody rebellion aboard a slave ship. For most of Schindler's List (and, later, Saving Private Ryan) Spielberg restrains himself from the sweeping narrative and technical flourishes that make him one of our most entertaining and manipulative directors. Here, he doesn't even bother trying, succumbing to his driving need to entertain with beautiful images and contrived emotion. He cheapens his grandiose motives and simplifies slavery, treating it as cut- and-dry genre piece. Characters are easy Hollywood stereotypes--"villains" like the Spanish sailors or zealous abolitionists are drawn one-dimensionally and sneered upon. And Spielberg can't suppress his gifted eye, undercutting normally ugly sequences, such as the terrifying slave passage, which is shot as a gorgeous, well-lit composition. At its core, Amistad is a traditional courtroom drama, centred by a tired, cliched narrative: a struggling, idealistic young lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) fighting the crooked political system and saving helpless victims. Worse yet, Spielberg actually takes the underlying premise of his childhood fantasy, E.T. and repackages it for slavery. Cinque (Djimon Hounsou), the leader of the West African rebellion, is presented much like the adorable alien: lost, lacking a common language, and trying to find his way home. McConaughey is a grown-up Elliot who tries communicating complicated ideas such as geography by drawing pictures in the sand or language by having Cinque mimic his facial expressions. Such stuff was effective for a sci-fi fantasy about the communication barriers between a boy and a lost alien; here, it seems like a naive view of real, complex history. --Dave McCoy, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Gripping August 5, 2008
One of the best films I've ever seen. I first caught up with it late one night in the 90's and have been itching to watch it gain ever since. I found the content realistic and with little censorship made me face up to what really went on in the 1800's rather than being pampered with the traditional Hollywood take on events.
Unsurprisingly, this flopped at the US box office. June 14, 2008
As the good guys were the Royal Navy, and a lawyer - the usual suspects when it comes to villains in US cinema.
However, this is a very good film, made using the original courtroom transcripts, it shows how the US legal system triumphed over a weak Executive to deliver the politically inconvenient but right verdict even as the pained expression of the handpicked judge shows he knows he is flushing his career down the toilet to do so.
A heartening tale of honest men doing right, with insights into the US civil war, and the pivotal role played by Britain in abolishing slavery.
History comes alive in the hands of Steven Spielberg August 16, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I'm a fan of the movies put out by Steven Spielberg. He has taken true historical events and turned them into such captivating beautiful movies that none can compare. What Spielberg did for the Holocaust in "Schindler's List," and WWII in "Saving Private Ryan," he did with our terrible past of slavery in "Amistad." This film's strength is in its portrayal of the horrible treatment of the Sierra Leone Africans who are illegally captured for slaves in the 19th century. This movie, and the event itself, was not about freedom of slaves in America over an American issue, but instead about whether slaves on a Spanish vessel were illegally captured or if they were what lawyers in the film called "livestock" in the Spanish Empire when they killed all but a few of the boat-masters. The film portrays this and then the morality of slavery in an unobtrusive way, and that's what makes this movie great along with the score, which I believe should have gotten at least a nomination.
The film is gilded by beautiful sets and costumes where even "Doctor Zhivago" pales in comparison. The photography was more than stunning. However, the film is slightly marred by the somewhat empty performances by some of Americans in the film who lack emotion and engaging dialogue, and the film doesn't unfold as smoothly as one would expect from a Spielberg creation. There are other things that are underrated, such as Djimound Honsu's unforgettable performance as the leader of the slaves as well as the drama and ghastliness of the shipboard treatment of the slaves. The person that slightly disappointment in here is Matthew McConaheys. While not bad but not as good as it could have been. Morgan Freeman played is role well here but not his best because at times he would look slightly wooden. Anthony Hopkins in the other hand is amazing. His speech at the end will send shivers down your spine. There is also a beautiful scene of Hounsou and McConaughey character's communicating perfectly in languages the other doesn't know.
"Amistad" does give you emotional punch through a mild action sequence. It is purely drama, and the story's power lies in the words, expressions, and actions of the actors who make up for it. It's truly one of the better films out there, and once again, Spielberg has proven himself to be the master of putting the human spirit on the silver screen. Even though critics place it to be a `good' film I find it to be a great!
One of Spielberg's Best May 3, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Amistad is on par with the very best of Spielberg's films and we can easily see why he is always so successful. He has long been treated as a Hollywood pariah by the "serious" film insiders because he dared to make popular films that were money makers. But a common thread that runs through all of the Spielberg films and even more so of his latest work is the courage of the main character or characters to fight through to win against all odds. This story was moving, touching and indeed a bit shocking as it brings home the inequities of our earliest days as a nation. It is loaded with a fantastic load of talent with Matthew McConaghey, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins and the rest especially the actor playing Cinque (whose name escapes me at the moment.) It is simply a story that blows you away. Add to that another fabulous film score by Spielberg's pet composer John Williams and what more could you ask for. Another outstanding performance was the late Nigel Hawthorne as the clueless president Martin Van Buren. Does he remind you of any current political leaders? This film is another the equal of "Schindler's List" or "Saving Private Ryan."
Worth watching April 27, 2007
Well yes, it is a little cliched, romanticised and over-simplified. But there aren't many films made on this topic, so if it informs a few people about what went on, that's okay with me. And it kept me glued to the screen from start to finish.
My biggest objection was the British Navy being portrayed as heroic anti-slavers, at the end. The British had been amongst the worst slavers for hundreds of years, and their eventual sluggish change of heart did not merit such heroic treatment.
However, as far as I'm concerned the film is worth watching just to see Djimon Hounsou if for no other reason. How many well-portrayed African characters do we ever get to see in mainstream 'Western' movies? And as a bonus he is truly handsome, charismatic and gorgeous!
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