Amistad

Rating: 5/10 (15 June 2005)

Golden Globe nominated director/producer Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan) has very rarely made a film or two that not everyone is interested to see or forgets easily, but this is one of those films in his collection. Basically it is 1839 aboard the slave ship Amistad sailing from Cuab to the U.S.A., carrying a cargo of Africans chained up and sold for the slave trade. Things change though during the crossing when African tribal leader Cinque (Blood Diamond's Golden Globe nominated Djimon Hounsou) gets everyone to rebel and take control of the ship. When they reach America they are arrested as escape slaves, and none speaking a word of English it looks like they face death killing many men aboard. Lawyer Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey), with the concern of Joadson (Morgan Freeman) and some help later on from the experienced John Quincy Adams (Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Sir Anthony Hopkins) is determined to free them not just as free citizens, but as free from slavery. In fact, they plan to abolish slavery, particularly of black people, completely and forever, and thankfully in this courtroom drama they win the case. Also starring The Madness of King George's Nigel Hawthorne as Martin Van Buren, David Paymer as Secretary Forsyth, Pete Postlethwaite as Holabird, Pirates of the Caribbean's Stellan Skarsgård as Tappan, Anna Paquin as Queen Isabella, Love Actually's Chiwetel Ejiofor as Ensiign Covey, Cape Wrath's Ralph Brown as Lieutenant Gedney, Candyman's Xander Berkeley as Hammond, Enigma's Jeremy Northam as Judge Coglin, The Muppet Movie's Austin Pendleton as Professor Gibbs and Licence to Kill's Pedro Armendáriz Jr. as General Espatero. I did really like the bit where one of the black slaves was showing Cinque the pictures Jesus from the bible, but that's really the only memorable bit. The film is a little lengthy just twenty or so minutes short of three hours, it is trying too much to press the same buttons as Schindler's List did, it just wasn't quite for me, but it's an alright historical drama. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Music for John Williams, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Worth watching, at least once!