what is freedom ?
how does one determine who is free ?
in 1839 , those questions were more difficult to answer then they are now .
yet , the mistakes of our forefathers must be examined in order to rectify current situations .
that is , in essence , what steven spielberg 's gripping drama " amistad " is about .
through its various dramas , spielberg presents a case about a group of africans , who , after being seized from their home , were forced onto a ship and sent to the united states aboard " la amistad " .
on their way there , the slaves , led by cinque ( djimon hounsou ) , rebelled , killing off part of the crew .
however , the ship was still directed towards the united states , where the africans were brought to trial under murder .
in the court , various factions claim ownership of the slaves , and therefore try to seize them away .
the united states government , led by president martin van buren ( nigel hawthorne ) , and secretary of state secretary forsyth ( david paymer ) , try to ship the africans to spain , where an 11 year old isabella ii ( anna paquin ) wants them back .
the two spaniards who own " la amistad " want the slaves for themselves .
the american ship that found the slaves also wants them .
in the midst of this are two abolitionists ( stellan skaarsgard and morgan freeman ) , who want the slaves to be free .
they enlist the help of lawyer matthew mcconaughey , who tries to free them .
through various legal proceedings , the case appears before the supreme court , where it is argued by ex - president john quincy adams ( anthony hopkins ) .
the film itself is a visual wonder .
spielberg favorite janusz kaminski sets the film in a dark , somber mood when appropriate , and a visual setting when appropriate as well .
at times , the film is very slow , and very methodical .
however , spielberg is not at his finest here , because the courtroom scenes have a tendency to lag .
the film is , in essence , a courtroom drama , one whose events are oversimplified .
the characterization is also weak , displaying weaknesses in building up characters such as the lawyer baldwin ( mcconaughey ) , and especially morgan freeman 's abolitionist .
but spielberg 's finest work in the film , the opening scene , a scene of cinque 's family , and the brutal voyage of the slaves to america
, is altogether stunning .
it is this emotional force that carries the film .
mcconaughey is superb
as the lawyer defending the africans , hopkins is sensational as the old adams , freeman is outstanding when used ( spielberg vastly under uses his supreme talents ) , and the rest of the cast is stellar .
the movie , however , belongs to hounsou .
his emotional intensity is brilliant .
spielberg manages to make even the slowest scenes sparkle with focus on hounsou , and the film 's extraordinary power is simply captivating .
the film is flawed , for most of the supporting characters are merely cardboard .
but that does n't matter .
the story is a gripping
one , and one of extreme importance . kudos to spielberg for finding it , finding the right men for the job , and letting the audience listen to the words of cinque . a good job all around .
a good job all around finest work his emotional intensity is brilliant a visual wonder kudos is altogether stunning the film 's extraordinary power is simply captivating the rest of the cast is stellar gripping superb