History Alive

Rating: 8/10 (29 April 2005)

Not as big as Titanic, but just as good, if not a better movie. Amistad could be considered a masterpiece among other Spielberg movies. For the hundreds of locals in Newport, Rhode Island who got to be extras during the courtroom scenes, this movie is shy of amazing. The Schindler's List for the African slave movement, Amistad is more than a movie. To many, it is a labor of love and a family history. It is a story of man in the story of humanity. Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou and Matthew McConaughey are perfect in their roles. Hopkins does an honor to John Quincy Adams with the perfection of his performance. He alone is worth watching the movie. Then again, the production value made this historical story real. The wardrobes, the set design and the characters brought history alive.