Good Movie for History Buffs - But It Draaaags

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2017)

I appreciate any movie that is willing to take an honest look at American slavery (I.E. not sugar-coat it with some revisionist "Gone With The Wind" BS), and if you're unfamiliar with the Amistad case, it's an interesting time in history. Anthony Hopkins's monologue at the climax is one of the best pieces of acting I've ever seen. My only rub is that all the courtroom stuff just seems to go on forever. I was a little disappointed that we saw so much of the white people arguing over the Africans and so little about the Africans themselves.
That being said, the middle passage scene is the most heart-wrenching, realistic depiction probably ever shot. You can really understand just how horrific the experience must've been.
Anyways, technically speaking, it's a great film. Check it out, but drink some coffee first, lest you fall asleep with all the courtroom jargon and "white savior" grandeur.