Although flawed, this chilling movie further reveals Spielberg's skill as an expert film-maker unafraid of tackling heavy political

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 12, 2024

A much finer movie than Spielberg's sophomoric The Color Purple, it has power and dignity and it leads us into new places.

| Original Score: B+ | Jan 10, 2023

Whether or not Steven Spielberg is the right filmmaker for the job, Amistad tells an important story in not just American but world history.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 25, 2022

Spielberg is a natural at portraying sickness, hunger, death and all horrible feelings that could be associated with slavery. His opening sequence easily blends the flickering lighting with the mutiny aboard La Amistad.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 23, 2022

Amistad is certainly a film of considerable power.

| Aug 17, 2018

Amistad is worth seeing for the stormy scenes on board the slave boat, and for Djimon Hounsou's magnetic performance. Otherwise, it can't decide on its direction, and this unique historical event is stifled into a less than thrilling courtroom drama.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 1, 2018

The narrative perils are daunting in this little-known true tale of a bloody slave-ship rebellion in 1839 and its jumbled aftermath in the U.S. judicial system.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 9, 2018

'Amistad' may not be the first, or fifth, or tenth film people talk about when Spielberg's name comes up. But it has more moments that will put your hair on end than other filmmakers' best works, and that says something.

| Dec 15, 2017

| Original Score: C | Sep 7, 2011

Powerful story for mid-teens and up.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 21, 2010

In short, a wordy courtroom drama which seldom progresses beyond ciphers, stereotypes and salutary slogans.

| Jun 24, 2006

Amistad is worth seeing just for people to know about this important story, this moment in history. But from the world's most powerful, successful and famous director, we expect more.

| Original Score: 3/4 | May 26, 2006

Aiming to instruct and entertain, and often struggling to reconcile these goals, Amistad lacks the subtlety of tone and simplicity of form that made Schindler's List one of Spielberg's very best; here, however, every idea and image are too explicit.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 13, 2006

Fortunately, the dry, courtroom banter is interjected with powerful accounts of the violent, inhumane atrocities inflicted on the slaves by Spanish merchants.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 6, 2005

Amistad is the telling of an interesting event in American history, but doesn't draw its audience in to the heart of the story.

| Original Score: B+ | Apr 9, 2005

This is the most straightforward, understated, and powerful big-screen representation of the gospel in recent movie history. And for that, Amistad should be recommended to everyone.

| Original Score: B | Dec 6, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 18, 2003

As with Schindler’s List, Spielberg allows his subjects to be remote and somewhat unknowable human beings, creating an air of documentary-like authenticity.

| Original Score: B+ | Jul 19, 2003

Amistad is the kind of movie that makes a tired topic seem fresh and entertaining again.

| Original Score: B+ | May 22, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 20, 2003