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Amistad (1997)
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew McConaughey. Cinematography by Janusz Kaminski. Edited by Michael Kahn. Produced by Debbie Allen, Colin Wilson, and Steven Spielberg. Written by David Franzoni. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
In 1839 the Spanish slave ship La Amistad was brought to a Long Island harbor after being discovered drifting off the coast of Connecticut. The American authorities searched the ship and discovered that the fifty three would-be slaves abducted by the Spanish slave-traders had taken over the vessel. Lead by the mighty Cinque, the captives turned captures demanded that the two surviving crew members return them to their homes. But they were tricked and the ship continued to head for America; which was their destination to begin with. All fifty three men were immediately incarcerated and the trial that followed involved some of the most influential politicians of the time including Martin Van Buren and John Quincy Adams.
The story of the mutiny on the slave ship La Amistad came to Debbie Allen’s attention in the late eighties while she was researching a collection of black history essays. Determined to bring this amazing story to the big screen, Allen personally optioned William A. Owens’ book Black Mutiny: The Revolt on the Schooner Amistad. She spent the next few years looking for a filmmaker to undertake her pet project, but couldn’t seem to find any interested parties. In 1993, after being moved by the raw humanity of Schindler’s List Allen decided to present her story to Steven Spielberg. Her feeling was that any man that could effectively convey the emotions of stories like Schindler’s List and The Color Purple into film would be perfect to tell a story like Amistad. Spielberg was indeed taken with the story and quickly agreed to helm the project. Amistad would be the first film that he would direct for his new multimedia production studio, DreamWorks SKG.
And like any filmmaker who chooses to recreate a moment from history, Spielberg suffered from the usual cries of anachronisms and other inaccuracies. Most are irrelevant to the story and would only be detected by an alert historian. But to make matters worse some experts believe that after Cinque’s release he returned to Africa only to become a slave trader himself which, if accurate, would tarnish the film’s image of him as a symbol of freedom. But again, if you are looking at the film on its own this information shouldn’t detract from the piece. As far as how Amistad fits into Spielberg’s dramatic library, it’s probably most likely to be one of his least remembered projects. That’s not to say that it’s a throw away picture, but in the company of films like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, Amistad just doesn’t hold up. It warrants a watch to those history and Spielberg enthusiasts floating around out there, but if you’re a novice of either you may want to start elsewhere.
Budget: $40,000,000
Total US Gross: $44,212,592
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 152 Minutes
US Release Date: 12/10/97
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Nominated for best cinematography, best costume design, best original score, and best supporting actor. Golden Globes: Nominated for best actor in a dramatic picture, best supporting actor, best director, and best picture. Directors Guild of America: Nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.
Tagline: Freedom Is Not Given. It Is Our Right At Birth. But There Are Some Moments When It Must Be Taken.
Quote: “Give us free.”
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