Amistad (Film)
- Morgan Freeman: Joadson
- Nigel Hawthorne: Martin Van Buren
- Anthony Hopkins: John Quincy Adams
- Djimon Hounsou: Cinque
- Matthew McConaughey: Roger Baldwin
- David Paymer: Secretary of State John Forsyth
- Pete Postlethwaite: Holabird
- Stellan Skarsgård: Tappan
- Razaaq Adoti: Jamba
- Abu Bakaar Fofanah: Fala
- Anna Paquin: Queen Isabella
- Chiwetel Ejiofor: James Covey
- Tomás Milián: Calderon
- Xander Berkeley: Hammond
- Arliss Howard: John C. Calhoun
Amistad is a film drama in 1997, based on the true story of the Amistad processes.
Action
1839: La Amistad is a Spanish sailing vessel about 40 black leads as " cargo " on board with it, the mutiny on the sea from a Cuban city to Spain and bring the ship into their power. They kill the crew, except for two members who they should return to Africa.
Almost three months later, the damaged Amistad is applied by a ship of the U.S. Navy. The Africans are abducted as unclaimed property in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Once there is the drama of a political issue, because several parties claim the ship and the slaves: the surviving sailors Ruiz and Montes, the U.S. commanders who have brought the ship into their control, and the Spanish Queen Isabella.
The young lawyer Roger Baldwin hired by two Christian abolitionists ( fighters against slavery ), to take up the case. Baldwin wants to run the process as a process over ownership of agricultural Nutzmitteln ( slaves ), while the abolitionists want to lead the process of idealism. Baldwin tried to prove that Africans still come neither from Spain from the U.S., but were caught on neutral ground. He meets their leader, Cinque, and learns that he belongs to the people of the Mende.
Through an interpreter told Cinque as he was captured in Africa by other Africans and sold to white slave traders. He further reports of the atrocities on the ship; a scene is explained later by a British captain who says in court on the slave trade: As the skipper had not taken enough food, they drowned fifty Africans.
After a first - cheap for the slaves - Judgment of U.S. President Martin Van Buren shall, inter alia, for fear of a trouble with the South appealed to the Supreme Court. There, the slaves are represented by the former U.S. President John Quincy Adams.
Finally, the appeal is dismissed. In the court's opinion the Africans is guaranteed the right to violent resistance to their illegal enslavement. You will be released. Van Buren is not re-elected.
The film ends with the return of slaves to their home countries and the destruction of the infamous fortress in Sierra Leone, which was the starting point of embarkation of the Amistad deported. Cinque finds his wife and his child not again, probably they have been enslaved.
Criticism
" Steven Spielberg has the events staged true to the historical facts as a cinematic recreation of the processes and events on the slave ships. Despite some overly emphatic effect scenes a remarkably focused on the humanitarian idea film of dramatic power and convincing performance. "
Background Info Cast
As a possible alternative occupations were Sean Connery ( John Quincy Adams) and Denzel Washington ( Cinque ) talking, but both refused. To display the dialog as Cinque so believable, Djimon Hounsou had to learn the language Mende.
In the role of federal judge Joseph Story, who announced the decision of the Supreme Court, Harry A. Blackmun is to see, from 1970 to 1994 actually judge of the Supreme Court He is the only Supreme Court justice who has ever participated in a Motion Picture has.
Awards
The film received the following four Academy Award nominations, but went at the award ceremony in 1998 from empty.
- Best Male Supporting Actor: Anthony Hopkins
- Best Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski
- Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter
- Best Music: John Williams
DVD Release
- Amistad. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2006
Soundtrack
- John Williams: Amistad. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. DreamWorks Records / SKG Music, Universal City 1997, Media -No. DRD 50035 - original recording of the film music under the baton of the composer