Hounson is an excellent actor and did a superb job in this movie. Anthony Hopkins was clever as usual. Gotta see this movie. The story will give you a dose of humility.

More stagey than your average Spielberg drama, Amistad nevertheless has emotional vigor in the right place held aloft by a powerful ensemble.

Really well done, although the acting is suspect (mainly because of how young some of the stars are) but the film is well done, and tells an important story in history.

Another great film from Spielberg

Strong and touching, with accurate music score by J Williams...too much courtroom cliches, still, epilogue rounds the film up, by masteful directorial hand of Mr Spielberg. Some great acting performances by entire cast.

I watched this recently on DVD, and found it dull. I think I lost the plot part way through, and then it struggled to maintain my attention. I may have been tired, and I will try to watch it again at some point, but for now I remain unimpressed. I could not reccomend it based on my experience.

This was an ambitious historical movie by Spielberg that got to the heart of slavery in America prior to the Civil War. I thought the movie would have been better had it concentrated more on the actual court cases. I did like that historical figures were portrayed in the movie. Sir Anthony Hopkins was top notch in the movie. At times the movie was slow and meandering. But over all this was a classic Spielberg film.

The idea is quite unique but the movie is quite long and boring at stretches.

This film is a terrific rendition of the actual historical event related to the La Amistad schooner. Another Spielsberg great film. The leads Hounsou and Hopkins were essential to the telling of this landmark case. The story is absolutely heart-wrenching, from beginning to end.

Historical drama about the efforts of idealists to eradicate slavery from the United States. The slow development of the beginning is compensated with a plot that grows like a snowball. It does not have the strength of Schlinder's List but it has its arguments that make it acceptable.

Filme bacana, o roteiro é bacaninha, gostei da história do filme sobre a realidade da escravidão, gostei das cenas na parte do barco gigante onde estavam todos as pessoas negros escravizadas e mostrando a realidade da época, o filme teve cenas fortes, mas não cenas impactantes para melhorar o filme, e também o filme ficou um pouco fraco por causa da duração do filme que durou quase 3 horas.

The best acting performance from Djimon Hounsou!

A little slow, but this is a highly underrated Steven Spielberg movie.

Good biopic but a little over reached. Covey the interpreter was not an Ensign but a 14 year old dock worker. (not far fetched however as I told my son there was little racism at sea back then as the best made it for all lives of the crew depended on it) If you ever go to the New London Maritime Museum (a hidden gem) that is near the US Coast Guard Academy, Mystic Seaport and The Groton nuclear sub base's Nautilus Museum all in New London/Groton area off I-95 S.E. CT (by the Indian Casinos) what a lesson you get on the real story as that was where the ship Amistad first landed with the Revenue Cutter Washington but the court case was in New Haven, CT. The muesum guide spoke in depth for 1/2 hour on the Amistad but also New London's past and how the traitor Arnold burned it down in the Revolution and the British again in War of 1812 and it thriving whaling industry 2nd only to Fall River, MA home of US Mass the WW2 Battleship.

Amistad is pretty much what you'd expect if somebody told you that Steven Spielberg was making a movie about the slave trade with an all-star cast and a music score by John Williams. That doesn't mean that it's good or bad (it's actually pretty decent), just that it's very Spielbergian, if such a word exists. Set in 1839, it tells the true story of a slave revolt aboard La Amistad, a ship transporting captured slaves to America, and the court proceedings that followed. It's filled with some excellent performances, especially that of Djimon Hounsou, great cinematography by Spielberg regular Janusz Kaminski, and a story that needed telling. Unfortunately, it's burdened with a cumbersome running time that could have been trimmed by using less in the way of talking heads and the removal of much of the religious pandering, including the uncomfortable scene of the prisoners interpreting the bible.

An important film to see. Based on true events that ultimately was the unofficial spark that led to the necessary american civil war. Steven Spielberg creates another magnificently powerful film once again. The performances, music, editing cinematography and casting are all essentially outstanding.

An important story worth telling. The slave ship sequences are chilling and are probably the highlights. Djimon Hounsou actually seems to bear most of the weight, a surprise considering the star-studded lineup of the likes of Freeman, Hopkins, McConaughey, Skarsgard, Hawthorne, Postlethwaite, Paquin, and so forth. Hounsou's intensity and raw emotion remains a true sight to behold, which is crucial in distracting from the film's moments when it becomes derivative, saccharine, and melodramatic. This is truly a "Hollywood-ized" story, with an undoubted plethora of historical inaccuracies and invented elements to boot. We watch on as Hopkins gets his time to shine with a great monologue to tie up the film and seal the award nominations, all while John Williams's triumphant score swells in the background. The audience receives an oversimplification full of heroes who were, in actuality, anything but in a watered-down version of true events. Therefore, it can only be taken at face value, and the film can only be so good after acknowledging this fact.

Powerfully acted and beautifully told. Amistad tells it’s story well without becoming too sappy giving audience members what they expect from Spielberg.

Steven Spielberg es quizás el máximo director de todos los tiempos por lo ecléctico de su repertorio, desde ciencia ficción, hasta biografías políticas. Lo ha hecho todo y con grandes resultados. Ésta película es mi favorita de todas las que ha hecho. Un grupo de esclavos en 1839, rompen las cadenas y toman posesión de un barco en altamar, para después ser juzgados en Connecticut. La historia más allá del drama en cuestión es fascinante. Las actuaciones guiadas por Spielberg nos roban el aliento, desde Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, Nigel Hawthorne y el magnífico Sir Anthony Hopkins. El filme, se vuelve un drama político/legal donde los derechos y obligaciones claramente estaban en proceso de distinguirse. Los jueces a cargo de dictar sentencia eran dueños de esclavos, lo cual hoy en día se miraría irónico e inapropiado, en ése entonces era la ley. La historia está muy bien escrita y dirigida. Las emociones están a flor de piel, y sin duda el momento más emotivo es el discurso de Hopkins hablando en defensa de los acusados por 11 minutos, que al espectador mantiene embobado. Una película para todos los tiempos...

Slaves are put on trial when they start a mutiny on the ship bringing them over to America. Although a little long in the tooth, Amistad is a memorable movie that gives you something to root for. Acting: 10 This was the first time I got to see a performance from Djimon Hounsou. I was blown away by his tenacity. You felt his passion in every single line he utters. This movie wouldn't have been the same without him. I would argue the same for Anthony Hopkins playing the role of John Quincy Adams. Hopkins is no secret to blockbuster performances so it's no surprise that he knocks this one out of the park. Beginning: 10 This is how you start a movie! For me, it has one of the top ten beginning of all time for any movie. It's riveting and terrifying at the same time. The way Spielberg shot it was genius. Characters: 10 Cinematography/Visuals: 10 No surprise here with one of the most iconic directors of all time at the helm. He always has a way of choosing the best angle for the greatest impact. I could spend a whole entry talking about the subtle things he does to leave large impacts. It's a cinematic treat. Conflict: 7 The struggle here is the movie mostly revolves around two major cases. The courtroom can be boring in spots on the big screen if not done right. Even in the case of Amistad where things are done right, it can still be a bit much to consume. You feel like nothing is happening when actually there is a whole lot happening at once. Entertainment Value: 8 I was intrigued to see how this story would unfold from beginning to end. I loved the character development and the understanding of what got both sides to their respective points. Again, despite its length, you will be engaged throughout. Memorability: 6 Pace: 1 Plot: 10 Resolution: 9 Overall: 81 Improve the pacing here and you have a masterpiece point blank. Despite its length, Amistad is definitely worth the time spent. I enjoyed it thoroughly.