Such a Potent History Lesson!

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2013)

Amistad is a surprisingly great movie that is a welcome addition into the filmography of Steven Spielberg. It has some courtroom clichés and some typical Spielberg drama fluff, but it overcomes those minor obstacles to be a powerful, sometimes-disturbing film about a group of people who yearn for their freedom. The editing is also choppy and sometimes it is hard to pick up what's going on, but this story moved me so much, I didn't care if the editing was sub-par.
Amistad, based on a true story, is about a group of African slaves who attempt to escape from their captors, but they are recaptured and sent to America for trial. Now these blacks will have to endure unfairness and racial hatred to find out their fates.
The acting is powerful. This is the movie where Djimon Hounsou becomes a star and this movie shows why. His performance as the so-called "alpha male" nearly moved me to tears. Anthony Hopkins, who played John Quincy Adams, delivers one of the best speeches you'll ever hear in the movies. Matthew McConaughey, in one of his early non-romantic roles does a wonderful job. I really love Morgan Freeman, but I'm disappointed he didn't do much in the film.
Overall, this is a powerhouse film that shows expert Spielberg direction and wonderful acting. The editing is questionable, but I'll let it slide for a film like this. I honestly didn't expect this to be good as it was so I'm quite happy. I rate this film 9/10.