Amistad1997

64/100 Amistad is a movie I can only describe as "well-intentioned", which, as some have already pointed out, is a very backhanded compliment. This is a movie trying to be Schindler's List, and while it doesn't quite get there, it does well enough that my opinions on it are mixed at least. The movie, just like Schindler's List, is about good people in a bad system and how they try to help those oppressed, those being the "slaves" of the titular ship Amistad. This is a good enough premise, and mainly works due to the fact that it works off of slavery's cruelty instead of trying to preach it. I'm also a sucker for courtroom scenes, so the fact the movie's a courtroom drama lends it some points in my eyes. However, this also lends the movie to a certain dullness and lack of focus, as the slaves themselves are relegated to side characters, which is a shame, as they're easily the best part of the movie. For a movie building off something as inhumane as the slave trade, you'd think there would be more emotion here. However, emotional scenes are mostly relegated to small moments, such as the backstory of our supposed protagonist, Cinque. However, they are effective no doubt. Matthew McConaughey plays the defendant, Roger Baldwin, here, and is, for one, much more attractive than the real defendant. He also has a nice arc throughout the movie, initially dismissive of the slaves only to end up invested in their struggle. However, the real star here is Anthony Hopkins as John Adams. His role is relatively minor, but he delivers a great speech near the climax of the film, which made for one of my favourite moments. Everything about him was handled well. Overall, I think the movie still has some great direction by Spielberg. However, it deserves a better script. Most of the times I liked a scene, it was because of the acting, and the writing itself is subpar, out of a few excellent scenes like the aformentioned speech. I also think the movie goes on for a bit too long. At first, I thought the acquittal by Judge Coglin would be the climax, only for 45 more, much weaker, minutes to go by before the ending. There's also some dramatic stuff about the freedom of slaves, which really doesn't work considering even if they win the case, it's not because of any need to free the slaves, but just because the slaves in question aren't Cuban. There's a scene where Cinque screams "Give us free!", but such a moment comes off as more hamfisted than powerful. Overall, this film has more good than bad, but it's very close between the two. Spielberg's direction is strong, but can't save this overall average product.