Amistad (1997)
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A mutiny aboard a slave ship leads to a high-stakes legal battle in the United States.
The story
In 1839, the schooner La Amistad transports enslaved Africans off the coast of Cuba. A captive named Cinqué leads a violent uprising against the crew, resulting in the death of most of the captors. The ship is eventually intercepted by a U.S. revenue cutter, and the mutineers are taken into custody. A complex legal battle ensues as the U.S. government and the Spanish government clash over the status of the captives. Amidst the tension of international diplomacy and the looming threat of the slave trade, a group of advocates and a determined lawyer fight to secure the freedom of the captives.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1839, the schooner La Amistad is transporting enslaved Africans near Cuba when Cinqué leads a revolt, killing most of the crew. The ship is captured by the U.S. revenue cutter Washington, and the mutineers are arrested. A legal battle begins; while the U.S. initially dismisses criminal charges of piracy because the acts occurred in international waters, a civil case follows regarding the ownership of the captives. The Spanish government claims them as property, while the U.S. and others claim them as salvage. To avoid a diplomatic crisis, President Van Buren initially supports the Spanish claim. However, abolitionists Lewis Tappan and Theodore Joadson hire attorney Roger Sherman Baldwin to fight for the captives' freedom. Baldwin discovers the captives were illegally trafficked from Sierra Leone. After a series of legal maneuvers and the inclusion of a translator to allow Cinqué to testify, a judge rules in favor of the Africans. Under pressure from Southern interests, the case reaches the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams delivers a moving speech that secures their release. Following the victory, the slave fort Lomboko is destroyed by the Royal Navy. Van Buren is later discredited in the 1840 election, and the captives are eventually freed, though Cinqué is unable to reunite with his family due to civil war.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 154
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- David Franzoni · writer
- Cast and characters
- Morgan Freeman · Theodore Joadson; Nigel Hawthorne · President Martin Van Buren; Anthony Hopkins · John Quincy Adams; Djimon Hounsou · Sengbe Pieh / Joseph Cinqué; Matthew McConaughey · Roger Sherman Baldwin; David Paymer · Secretary of State John Forsyth; Pete Postlethwaite · William S. Holabird; Stellan Skarsgård · Lewis Tappan
- Genres
- historical drama
- Themes
- slavery; justice; human rights; legal battle
- Tone and mood
- serious; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; legal drama; courtroom drama; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy by Howard Jones
- Reception
- The film received largely positive critical reviews.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 78% · scale: percentage · review count: 68; Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Awards · Best Supporting Actor · Nominated; Academy Awards · Best Original Dramatic Score · Nominated; Academy Awards · Best Cinematography · Nominated; Academy Awards · Best Costume Design · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Djimon Hounsou had only 10 days to learn the Mende language for his role.; The film was completed in 51 days.; A legal battle occurred between the studio and novelist Barbara Chase-Riboud over script details.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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