AMISTAD

"Steven Spielberg brings the story of Amistad to the screen with unbridled passion and commitment, with powerful images and extraordinary performances, notably from Anthony Hopkins and newcomer, Djimon Hounsou. Epic in both length and significance, Amistad is a symbol perhaps of Spielberg’s conscience, as was Schindler’s List. Anthony Hopkins is amazing as the former President, whose intelligence and determination champions the Supreme Court. Deserving of yet another Academy Award for this outing, Hopkins gives a complete performance, convincing at every turn, strong and learned from age and experience, with the patience and understanding that comes with it. His scenes with Hounsou, despite the language barrier, are ripe with communication, and it is at those moments when true movie magic occurs. Hounsou, imposing in stature, is a revelation, with an explosive screen presence. His amazing body and features (as stunningly displayed in Herb Ritt’s photographs of him), make him a model leader, and this role offers him a strong platform. Morgan Freeman, Stellan Skarsgård and Pete Postlethwaite offer strong support, but Matthew McConaughey appears miscast in a role which deserves and requires an actor that can deliver more depth. Production design, cinematography, editing and sound are tops, while the master, John Williams, provides a glorious, rousing score that captures the spirit of freedom, as it envelops us in the mastery and magic of the screen."
Louise Keller

"There are two sides to director Steven Spielberg: there’s the crassly commercial side, as evidenced in the two artless but effective Jurassic Park pictures; then there’s the passionate film maker, the more personal Spielberg who finally emerged in his extraordinary Schindler’s List. Amistad falls somewhere between the two. For the most part, this is an impressive work, a gloriously looking intimate epic that is multi-faceted in its themes. At just over 2 ½ hours, Spielberg takes his time in telling this compelling story of the African slaves who inadvertently end up in America, a symbol of a cause that would eventually tear the country apart. The film has many wonderfully cinematic passages clearly directed by a master of his craft. The opening mutiny sequence, which begins with tranquillity erupts into intense and realistic violence. It’s an astonishing opening. The film is glorious to the eye, thanks to the stunning cinematography of Janusz Kaminski, who lensed Schindler’s List. And the film has reproduced the period to perfection. Where Spielberg resorts to a studio mentality is in the anomaly of his casting. Casting Matthew McConaughey in the pivotal role of the young lawyer who ends up defending the Africans is sheer folly. With his limited experience and maturity, one never believes that this lawyer is out of the early nineteenth century. McConaughey’s dull performance lets the film down. However, in a more astute moment, Spielberg delivered some fine actors to the fold, and their presence gives the film an added texture. Seeing Anthony Hopkins as an aged ex-President delivering his moving monologue towards the film’s closing, is witnessing great acting on the screen. Hopkins is simply remarkable, from every facial and physical nuance to the pure passion of the piece. And when he and the equally poetic Morgan Freeman share screen time together, one is all too painfully aware of the rarity of great acting in today’s Hollywood. Newcomer Djimon Hounsou is a rare find, a complete novice who brings an unexpected power, passion and dignity to Cinque, while Britain’s Nigel Hawthorne and Pete Postlewaite, provide invaluable support as the Africans’ adversaries. Thematically, Amistad explores the nature of freedom and the extent one goes to in order to achieve it. Spielberg’s mastery of film language, combined with human intimacy, makes for an often powerful and important work, despite his tendency to over-sentimentalise."
Paul Fischer

blank