Solid Spielberg.

Rating: 7/10 (21 May 2008)

Here we have another historical epic made in the same vein as Schindler's List, only more discreet and soft. While Spielberg really took it to the audience in giving them as authentic an experience as possible for his Holocaust picture, here he sits back and lets us take the experience for ourselves. The stories are similar here, as we watch two groups of people be completely controlled by outside forces simply for the benefit of the force controlling them. Of course we sympathize with them, but Spielberg takes it farther and gives us a rather unforgiving portrait of the slaves' journey to America. Starting in Africa, they are captured by Portuguese slave traders and then sold to the Spanish ship La Amistad. The journey from Africa to Cuba is the most horrific as we watch the inhumane sleeping quarters and food rations these people are given. The film then settles into a courtroom drama mode as we watch Morgan Freeman and Matthew McConaughey fight for their freedom against the government led by newly reelected president Martin Van Buren. Not always history savvy, the film still manages to portray these iconic American figures as someone we can listen and relate to. This brings me to the technology aspects of the film which more often than not are a success. The acting is great with Freeman doing his usual stellar performance and Djimon Hounsou being completely convincing of his slave leader character. However, I was most impressed with Anthony Hopkins as former president John Quincy Adams and McConaughey as the young lawyer that lead the case. McConaughey in particular needs to do more films like this to become the true movie star he has the potential for. All these chick flicks with Kate Hudson and Jennifer Lopez are an insult to the magnificent work he does here. The direction is steady by Spielberg and the writing keeps us interested for the most part. While a little long at times and maybe not completely accurate, this is still a film well worth seeing and a great piece of American history frozen forever in the reels of cinema.