Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right

Rating: 5/10 (16 March 2006)

This was a slick Spielberg propaganda piece that brings mixed messages. Few directors can present their agendas in such glossy form with beautiful visuals, good actors and powerful manipulative, memorable scenes. Such is the case here as another Liberal icon tries to rid himself of guilt from something he had nothing to do with (slavery) by making this film and actually glorifying a killer.
Slavery was an abomination and always will be, make no mistake. But, as Liberals never seem to understand, "two wrongs don't make a right," and this case, making a murderer into the "hero" is twisted thinking. "Cinque," literally called a hero in this film and last time I checked, murder was not classified as something good.
This is the story of "Cinque" and the slave ship "Amistad" with our man leading an uprising against the slave owners on the boat, murdering them and taking over, only to be caught and tried in court for their actions.
On the plus side, all the characters are interesting and the acting is excellent. Matthew McCnaughey gets fifth billing but has more lines than anyone else. Anthony Hopkins is riveting, as usual, as John Adams, who gives a wonderful impassioned speech at the end of the trial in defense of "Cinque." (Of course, we don't hear the other side's closing statements. So much for fair-and-balanced reporting.) The film is also beautiful to view, wonderful colors and shadows and light.
Storywise, the accuracy is very much in question and that's no surprise, considering filmmakers have rarely stuck to the truth, usually changing many facts for dramatic purposes. One thing for sure: it's a disturbing film - disturbing for the brutality of slavery and disturbing for the message about murder being an acceptable answer to negate another sin.