Search - Amistad on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Watch With Your Teen Movie Release: 1997 DVD Release: 05/04/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 35 mins Studio: DreamWorks Members Wishing: 0 Genres: Drama, Historical Film, Period Film, Courtroom Drama, Message Movie See Also: Amistad [DTS]

This Steven Spielberg-directed exploration into a long-ago episode in African-American history recounts the trial that followed the 1839 rebellion aboard the Spanish slave ship Amistad and captures the complex political maneuverings set in motion by the event. Filmed in New England and Puerto Rico, the 152-minute drama opens with a pre-credit sequence showing Cinque (Djimon Hounsou) and the other Africans in a violent takeover of the Amistad. Captured, they are imprisoned in New England where former slave Theodore Joadson (Morgan Freeman), viewing the rebels as "freedom fighters," approaches property lawyer Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey), who attempts to prove the Africans were "stolen goods" because they were kidnapped. Running for re-election, President Martin Van Buren (Nigel Hawthorne) overturns the lower court's decision in favor of the Africans. Former President John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) is reluctant to become involved, but when the case moves on to the Supreme Court, Adams stirs emotions with a powerful defense. The storyline occasionally cuts away to Spain where the young Queen Isabella (Anna Paquin) plays with dolls; she later debated the Amistad case with seven U.S. presidents. The character portrayed by Morgan Freeman is a fictional composite of several historical figures. For authentic speech, the Africans speak the Mende language, subtitled during some scenes but not others. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Morgan Freeman - Theodore Joadson
Anthony Hopkins - John Quincy Adams
Matthew McConaughey - Baldwin
Nigel Hawthorne - Martin Van Buren
Djimon Hounsou - Cinque
Arliss Howard - John C. Calhoun
Jeremy Northam - Judge Coglin

As would be expected from Dreamworks, the DVD for Amistad is a quality production. The image, framed at 1.85:1, is anamorphic, but it does seem to be rather soft throughout the film. While not thoroughly distracting, it could use a little more detail and sharpness. For the most part though, with numerous scenes played in dark situations, the image holds up very well. The soundtrack, in Dolby Digital 5.1 (there is also a separate DTS disc), is strong, with a fair amount of surround material giving it some heightened atmosphere. Though not listed on the box, the disc also offers a slightly less powerful surround track. Unfortunately, fans of the film don't get a special edition for this disc. The main extra is a 26-minute "making of" documentary that, while not exactly long, is superior to the fluff pieces found on far too many discs. It contains significant interviews and behind-the-scenes shots that help explain why the film was made and how important it was to the participants. In addition, there are the standard features such as some production notes (though for the most part they are covered in the documentary), biographies and filmographies of the main cast and crew, and the theatrical trailer. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide