Amistad (1997)

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writer (WGA):

David Franzoni (written by)

Release Date:

10 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Mystery

Tagline:

A true story.

Plot:

AMISTAD is about a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that is traveling towards the Northeast Coast of America. Much of the story involves a court-room drama about the free-man who led the revolt.

Plot Keywords:

Ship | Slave Ship | Mutiny | Slavery | Supreme Court

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Morgan Freeman	...	Joadson
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Martin Van Buren
Anthony Hopkins	...	John Quincy Adams
Djimon Hounsou	...	Cinque
Matthew McConaughey	...	Baldwin
David Paymer	...	Secretary Forsyth
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Holabird
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Tappan
Razaaq Adoti	...	Yamba
Abu Bakaar Fofanah	...	Fala
Anna Paquin	...	Queen Isabella
Tomas Milian	...	Calderon
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Ensiign Covey
Derrick N. Ashong	...	Buakei
Geno Silva	...	Ruiz

MPAA:

Rated R for some scenes of strong brutal violence and some related nudity.

Runtime:

155 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mende | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Brazil:14 | Philippines:PG-13 (cut) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Mexico:B | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | South Korea:15 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #35700)

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Cuba Gooding Jr. also turned down the role of Cinque.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: An African becomes misty over the sight of an African violet in the greenhouse of John Q. Adams. African violets were detailed by a German botanist Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire in 1891. They were not imported to the United States until a few years later. Also, the slaves apparently were from West Africa. African violets are only found along the border region of Tanzania and Kenya in East Africa.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ruiz: [to Pedro Montes] That one wants us to sail them back. That one thinks he can sail all the way back without us.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Dry Your Tears, Afrika

Another fantastic film from Spielberg.

Amistad is one of them films that when the credits roll you just sit there and think what a wonderfull film that was ,what a well directed and well acted movie i have just seen. The acting is some of the best i have ever seen. the performances from Mathew McConaughue,Pete Postlethwaite and Morgan Freeman are Brilliant but check out the acting from Anthony Hopkins and Djimon Hounson,they are superb. The story is gripping and moving at the same time. The scenes on the Amistad ship are quite distressing and really show you how repulsive the slave trade was but this just adds to the realism and wonder of this fantastic film. A masterpeice. 9 out of 10.