Film Snail

Amistad
Amistad

7.0

Amistad

R·1997·155m

Summary

In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.

Cast

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman

Theodore Joadson

Nigel Hawthorne

Nigel Hawthorne

Martin Van Buren

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins

John Quincy Adams

Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsou

Cinque

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey

Roger Sherman Baldwin

David Paymer

David Paymer

Secretary John Forsyth

Pete Postlethwaite

Pete Postlethwaite

Holabird

Stellan Skarsgård

Stellan Skarsgård

Tappan

Razaaq Adoti

Razaaq Adoti

Yamba

Abu Bakaar Fofanah

Fala

Anna Paquin

Anna Paquin

Queen Isabella

Tomas Milian

Tomas Milian

Calderon

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Ensign Covey

Derrick N. Ashong

Derrick N. Ashong

Buakei

Geno Silva

Geno Silva

Ruiz

John Ortiz

John Ortiz

Montes

Ralph Brown

Ralph Brown

Lieutenant Gedney

Darren E. Burrows

Darren E. Burrows

Lieutenant Meade

Allan Rich

Allan Rich

Judge Juttson

Paul Guilfoyle

Paul Guilfoyle

Attorney

Peter Firth

Peter Firth

Captain Fitzgerald

Xander Berkeley

Xander Berkeley

Hammond

Jeremy Northam

Jeremy Northam

Judge Coglin

Arliss Howard

Arliss Howard

John C. Calhoun

Willie Amakye

Folowa - Amistad African

Luc Assogba

Gbatui - Amistad African

Mariah Campbell

Masery - Amistad African

Habib Conteh

Bai - Amistad African

Stephen Conteh

Morlai - Amistad African

Monguehy Fanzy

Fabanna - Amistad African

Jimmy Fotso

Kwong - Amistad African

Adekunle Ilori

Kahei - Amistad African

Sheriff Kargbo

Almamy - Amistad African

Saye Lah

Kessebe - Amistad African

Sylvestre Massaquoi

Santigiie - Amistad African

Samson Odede

Kpona - Amistad African

Chike Okpala

Sorie - Amistad African

Willie Onafesso

Jina - Amistad African

Samuel Pieh

Suuleh - Amistad African

Lansana Sawi

Morlu - Amistad African

Abu Sidique

Tsukama - Amistad African

El Hadj Malik Sow

Golabu - Amistad African

Lamine Thiam

Mahmud - Amistad African

Austin Pendleton

Austin Pendleton

Professor Gibbs

Daniel von Bargen

Daniel von Bargen

Warden Pendleton

Rusty Schwimmer

Rusty Schwimmer

Mrs. Pendleton

Pedro Armendáriz Jr.

Pedro Armendáriz Jr.

General Espatero

Frank T. Wells

Frank T. Wells

Crier

Michael Massee

Michael Massee

Prison Guard

Roy Cooper

Roy Cooper

Pickney

Jake Weber

Jake Weber

Mr. Wright

Victor Rivers

Victor Rivers

Captain Ferrar

Joseph Kosseh

Birmaja

Steve Passewe

Cinque's In-Law

Sherly Acosta Williams

Cinque's Wife

Matt Sarles

Young Aide

George Gerdes

George Gerdes

Marshal

Gerald R. Molen

Gerald R. Molen

Magistrate

Kevin J. O'Connor

Kevin J. O'Connor

Missionary

Robert E. Walsh

Robert E. Walsh

Guardsman

Sean McGuirk

Courier

Tony Owen

Farmer

William Young

Businessman

Michael Riley

Michael Riley

British Officer

León Singer

León Singer

Don Pablo

Castulo Guerra

Castulo Guerra

Spanish Priest

Harry Groener

Harry Groener

Tecora Captain

Hawthorne James

Hawthorne James

Creole Cook

Ingrid Walters

Ingrid Walters

Woman Overboard with Baby

Harry A. Blackmun

Associate Justice Joseph Story

Curtis Shields

Bassie - Additional Amistad African

Carlos Spivey

Chike - Additional Amistad African

Charles Udoma

Kessebe - Additional Amistad African

Andrew L. Josiah

Tamba - Additional Amistad African

Tony Onafesso

Baa - Additional Amistad African

Peter Mansaray

Kapr - Additional Amistad African

Clarence Mobley

Kenei - Additional Amistad African

Brian Macon

Yauai - Additional Amistad African

Edward Appiah

Followolo - Additional Amistad African

Denver Dowridge

Kpau - Additional Amistad African

Paul Mwakutuya

Sessi - Additional Amistad African

Rory Burton

Vakina - Additional Amistad African

Samuel Orekhio

Fawni - Additional Amistad African

Omo Lara Tosin

Kula - Additional Amistad African

Ransford Thomas

Alkali - Additional Amistad African

Juliette Darko

Teme - Additional Amistad African

Charlean Isata Bangalie

Margru - Additional Amistad African

Roosevelt Flenoury

Njaooni - Additional Amistad African

M.S. Kaleiwo

Kaleiwo - Additional Amistad African

Tesfay Yohannes

Amistad African Extra

George Kamara

Amistad African Extra

Abdul-Fatai Balogun

Amistad African Extra

Yaya Sissoko

Amistad African Extra

Amadou Traore

Amistad African Extra

Marlon Francis

Amistad African Extra

Bundu Kamara

Amistad African Extra

James Moses

Amistad African Extra

Daniel Reid

Amistad African Extra

Seydou Coulibaly

Amistad African Extra

Lawal Tajudeen

Amistad African Extra

Lester Mombelly

Amistad African Extra

Ibrahim Sesay

Amistad African Extra

Jeremy Shelton

Amistad African Extra

Andrew Shoemo

Amistad African Extra

Prince Coke

Amistad African Extra

Ahmed Bangura

Amistad African Extra

Bernard Singleton

Amistad African Extra

Desere Mondon

Amistad African Extra

Baboucar Jobe

Amistad African Extra

Christopher Annino

Blacksmith (uncredited)

Susan Bergeron

Tyler Speech Attendee (uncredited)

Eric Bruno Borgman

Eric Bruno Borgman

First Jury Juror (uncredited)

Luis Cabrera

Luis Cabrera

Spanish Guard (uncredited)

Craig Calman

Abolitionist (uncredited)

KimStacy Carter

Tecora Slave (uncredited)

Lisa Cavanaugh

Prostitute (uncredited)

Leonard Clifton

Slave (uncredited)

Alex Daunis

Clerk of Supreme Court (uncredited)

Nino Del Padre

Court Witness (uncredited)

Johnny Egan

Judge Coglin (voice) (uncredited)

Chris Fagan

Villager (uncredited)

Lawrence Gaughan

Spaniard (uncredited)

Morgan Hobart

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Nick King

Villager (uncredited)

Luis Muñoz

Spanish Slave Guard (uncredited)

Ungenita Prevost

Tecora Slave (uncredited)

Glendon Rich

Slave / Abolishionist (uncredited)

Kevin M. Simon

Abolishionist (uncredited)

John H. Tobin

John H. Tobin

Supreme Court Reporter (uncredited)

Harrison Young

Harrison Young

Congressman (uncredited)

Al Conti

Al Conti

Defense Attorney (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Steven Spielberg

Writer

David Franzoni

Reviews

Geronimo1967

Geronimo1967

June 24, 2022

7

Steven Spielberg took the helm for this rather classy, if very wordy, depiction of the celebrated legal battle that resulted from the mutiny of slaves aboard a Spanish ship in the late 1830s. A timely intervention from the US Navy rescued some of the crew, but then subjected the erstwhile cargo to an humiliating and debase battle for their "ownership". Roger Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey) takes up the cudgels on their behalf - at no small risk to himself, and with the assistance of former US President John Quincy Adams (Sir Anthony Hopkins) takes this principle all the way to the Supreme Court. It is most bizarre to watch this and even begin to contemplate a society in which the concept of one person, business, or nation claiming the possession of a human being is actually being discussed by rational people in a court of law, but here we have it. The film looks great, plenty of attention to the detail with the costumes and the sets but there is far too much incidental dialogue and the pace of the story seems more intent of delivering a story of epic length rather than meaningful drama. Sir Anthony delivers well in the last fifteen minutes with a most potent piece of oratory; this is probably the best effort we have yet seen from McConaughey and there are strong supporting roles from Sir Nigel Hawthorne (Van Buren); an impressive Djimon Hounsou - who has no English dialogue - as the leader of the incarcerated and Morgan Freeman also delivers well as he tries to facilitate the freedom and potential repatriation of these people back to modern day Sierra Leone. The moral and ethical issues here are writ large and presented in a well crafted, poignant and sometimes quite brutal fashion that make this a decent, if not great, film to watch.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$36,000,000.00

Revenue:

$44,229,441.00

Keywords

mutiny
cuba
sentence
slavery
historical figure
tall ship
slave trade