Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are some moments when it must be taken.|Dec. 10, 1997|United States|155 Min.|R
Genre: Drama;History;Mystery
Description: Amistad, released in 1997, is a historical drama that recounts the story of the slave ship La Amistad, which transported captured Africans from Spanish Cuba to the United States in 1839. Under the leadership of Joseph Cinqué, the enslaved Africans revolt and seize control of the ship. They spare the lives of two Spanish navigators, hoping they can guide the ship back to Africa. Instead, the navigators deceive them, steering the ship north to the U.S. east coast, where it is intercepted by the American Navy. The surviving Africans are imprisoned and accused of being runaway slaves.
Trapped in a foreign land with no knowledge of the English language, the Africans face a complex legal battle. U.S. Attorney William S. Holabird charges them with piracy and murder. Secretary of State John Forsyth, representing President Martin Van Buren, supports Spain’s claim that the Africans are legally Spanish property under a treaty. Meanwhile, two U.S. Naval officers assert ownership of the captives under salvage rights, and the Spanish navigators present proof of purchase.
Aided by abolitionists Lewis Tappan and Theodore Joadson, lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin takes up the Africans’ defense. Baldwin argues that the captives were illegally kidnapped from Sierra Leone, a British colony, and transported to the Americas. He presents evidence from documents found on La Amistad, proving the Africans were not slaves but free citizens of Sierra Leone. Despite this, the Van Buren administration attempts to influence the court by replacing the presiding judge with a younger, more malleable one.
To strengthen their case, Baldwin and Joadson seek the assistance of James Covey, a former slave fluent in both Mende and English, on the advice of ex-President John Quincy Adams. The film explores themes of justice, freedom, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression.
Cast director: Steven Spielberg
Cast actor: Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Nigel Hawthorne, Anna Paquin, David Paymer, Pete Postlethwaite, Stellan Skarsgård, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Original name: Amistad