Can I stay awake this long?

Rating: 6/10 (6 April 1999)

The Spielberg production of Amistad, although interesting and rooted in an actual incident in American history, is overly long and takes too long to get to the point. Matthew McConnahey is anything but believable as the advocate for the disenfranchised Africans. Anthony Hopkins, who always turns in an incredible performance, wavers between being from Massachusetts and having an unreal Irish brogue. Overall, the visual extravaganza is stunning, particularly the opening scenes onboard the Amistad. Unfortunately, Spielberg resorts to overly dramatic if not downright contrived melodrama to hold the audience's attention and to drum up sympathy for the primary characters. A case in point is the scene where the slaves are chained together and unceremoniously dumped into the sea being dragged to the bottom by a load of rocks. Really? Would these slave traders go to all this trouble or would they just dump the poor wretches into the water and move on? Or is Mr. Spielberg sensationalizing the incident to make his case for sympathy for the downtrodden? If you watch this one, keep your tongue firmly lodged in your cheek.