catesa 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.

austinkemmetphcc In 1839, a group of slaves aboard the Amistad, a Spanish ship sailing to the United States from Cuba revolted against their captors. Amistad, the movie, is based upon the true story of the group's journey from this point on. Within the opening minutes of the film, viewers are shown the awful conditions experienced on a slave ship. Immediately following is a gruesome, violent revolt warranted possibly by the treatment endured. Amongst the rebel slaves from Western Africa is a man named Cinque who emerges as the leader of the group before the film begins. It is him whose background is exposed around midway through the film in a successful attempt to further the idea that slavery is a terrible endeavor. Scenes of his kidnapping and experiences on slave ships expose the true cruelty that was shown toward slaves or slaves-to-be. One scene that was particularly unnerving was that of the systematic drowning of fifty people who were seen as no more than access cargo. The beating, starving, and killing of slaves who were deemed useless was not uncommon as depicted by the film.All is not grim for the Africans, however. They are supported by a number of important characters including president John Quincy Adams. In spite of the risks at hand because of the vehement feelings on either opposing sides of slavery, it is he who ultimately gives them freedom after it had been stripped of them on numerous occasions. Without the support of him, as well as others such as their lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin, it would have been impossible for the Cinque and his group to return home. The conflict between those fighting for the Africans and those fighting to return them into slavery is symbolic of conflict that existed between abolitionists and slavery supporters. To conclude, Amistad is a film that rather accurately describes the case surrounding the ¨cargo¨ aboard the actual Amistad as well as the situation regarding slavery in the United States during this time.

jennarose-96590 In 1839 a group of 53 slaves are taken aboard a ship headed for America from Cuba. Cinque, a slave on the ship, leads the others in a violent rebellion. They take over the ship in a way that exposes the violence and the measures that they were willing to take in order to achieve freedom. When they arrive in America they immediately become prisoners while faced with an intense debate. Midway through this film viewers get a glimpse of Cinque's life before being taken into captivity. They show him with his family in his village to accentuate the true damaging effect of slavery. This movie serves to emphasize the pain and suffering that they went through physically, mentally, and emotionally.

ryanmeadcc I rated the movie a 7 (almost 8) out of 10 because it was mostly accurate to the actual story and it showed the events in great detail. The only issues I had was the lack of subtitles and the repeated scenes with quiet dialogue. Some scenes had the interchanges between a translator which were alright, but other scenes had the African language and no caption. I had no clue what the men were saying. There were scenes where characters were conversing quietly and I could not understand what they were saying or i couldn't hear them at all. Other than that the movie was very well done and surely deserves a 7 or 8 out of 10.