A great historical movie that is also entertaining!

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2005)

Amistad is one of those movies that rarely come along. It is a good historical movie that is also really entertaining. It follows a group of blacks who are kidnapped from their homes in Africa and sold into the slave trade; while on the slave ship they revolt against the crew.However, they caught by the U.S. Navy and are prosecuted for the murders on the boat. The U.S. government, including President Van Buren, keep insisting on having the trial retried eventually reaching the Supreme Court. The defense wants to prove that the blacks are from Africa and therefore not actually slaves. This would allow them to be sent back to Africa to their families instead of becoming slaves in Cuba. The trial also serves to propel the abolitionists forward in their fight to finally end slavery in the U.S.
In the early 1800's a slave trade existed between Africa and the Caribbean. Africans would be kidnapped by slave traders and put aboard a boat set for the Americas. On the boats conditions were horrible and many of the slaves died. Once they reached the Americas these blacks would be given different names and sold into slavery illegally. The only legal slaves were those who were born on a plantation to slave parents due to a treaty banning the importation of slaves in 1820.
The movie has a few minor inaccuracies but for the most part follows the history really well. A minor mistake is on the Portuguese boat the people speak Castilian Spanish. I think that the historical context of the movie is pretty self explanatory. One thing that Spielberg left out is that the Africans were taught English while locked up and that Cinque became a well-known orator before returning to Africa as a missionary. I think it would have made the movie more interesting if the movie had shown more of what happened after the blacks were returned to Africa.
Amistad is a good historical movie to watch and gain more knowledge on the slave trade and the pre-Civil War United States. The movie contains lots of graphic scenes on the boat but the scenes all fit into the historical context of the movie. The plot is easy fairly easy to follow. The acting is amazing with big name actors such as Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, and Matthew McConaughey. Also starring in the movie is Djimon Hounsou as the leader of the Africans, Cinque. Hounsou is very believable as Cinque and really helps the viewer to become attached to the fate of the Africans. The cinematography is really good. While the scenes on the boat were a little disturbing they are also the best scenes of the movie and really make the movie. They connect you to the Africans and strengthen the viewer-character bond. I believe that Amistad is worth watching for entertainment and I also believe that it is a good movie to show for educational purposes.
Amistad is set during the early 1800's and revolves around the history of the slave trade. The movie does a great job of being accurate in the history while also being entertaining. The acting really helps the viewer to become attached to the characters and the cinematography is amazing. The scenes on the boat really help you to see what the slaves had to go through and how evil people can be. On a scale of one to ten I would give Amistad an eight.