Perhaps Spielberg's most underrated film.

Rating: Null/10 (30 March 2003)

As a lifelong scholar and fan of Steven Spielberg's work, I'm always stunned that his 1997 film Amistad is never given the kudos it so richly deserves. Perhaps the films was 'lost', as it was made and released in-between the twin giants of the popcorn friendly Lost World and the more socially conscious Saving Private Ryan - a film Amistad resembles closely in terms of tone and style. Amistad does not represent the popular Spielberg of ET, Jurassic Park or Jaws, rather the work of a mature film-maker, whose boyish preoccupations have given way to a thoughtful, politically astute adult who - in spite of what many of his critics say - isn't afraid of tackling darker themes.
Following the real-life plight of a group of African slaves who, in 1839 committed violent mutiny aboard the eponymous Spanish slave ship, Amistad is unlike anything Spielberg has done before. Only the similarly adult and underrated Empire of the Sun and The Color Purple (which also deals with issues of race and freedom) share such social and political concerns. The freedom of the slaves, represented by their hugely powerful leader Cinque (an almost wordless yet towering Djimon Hounsou) is bitterly contested by their Spanish "owners" and the Americans who salvaged the ship. With the help of two anti-slavery campaigners, Theodore Joadson (the always brilliant Morgan Freeman), Lewis Tappan (Stellan Skarsgard) and idealistic property lawyer Roger Baldwin (an excellent Matthew McConaughey) the slaves case eventually engages the the services of former President John Quincy Adams (a masterful Anthony Hopkins), who argues brilliantly on their behalf in the Supreme Court.
During the trial of the slaves, Spielberg shows us their capture in Africa and subsequent horrific journey to Africa aboard La Amistad in unflinching detail. The brutality and sense of injustice one feels as we watch slaves being drowned by their captors is as powerful as anything in Schindler's List. The cinematography, by Janusz Kaminski, is stunning throughout, leaving permanent images in the mind - the slaves drowning in the water, Cinque literally trying to swim back to Africa rather than face capture and the stunning opening mutiny set-piece. There are none of the huge, sweeping camera moves that we usually associate with Spielberg in Amistad; instead, he employs an almost static camera throughout (albeit with beautiful lighting) - the better to focus on the human drama.
Every performance in the film is exemplary, the screenplay (by David Franzoni) literary, intelligent and compassionate. Overall, Amistad adds up to one of the best films Spielberg has ever directed. The fact that it is not more widely known is criminal - hopefully it will be rediscovered, reassessed and given the acclaim it deserves. If you are even remotely interested in American history, slavery, African-American issues, Steven Spielberg or just great cinema, you really must see Amistad. One of the greatest - and most underrated - films about freedom ever made.