Amistad (1997 film)

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Template:Infobox Film Amistad is a 1997 Steven Spielberg film based on a slave mutiny that took place aboard a ship of the same name in 1839, and the legal battle that followed.


Contents

Awards

  • Academy of Motion Pictures, AMPAS (1998) Nominations:
    • Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Anthony Hopkins
    • Best Cinematography, Janusz Kaminski
    • Best Costume Design, Ruth Carter
    • Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, John Williams

Cast

Taglines

  • Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are some moments when it must be taken.

Notes

  • The first fifteen minutes of the film are entirely in the Mende language, with no subtitles.
  • The ship La Amistad in the film is not played by the recreated later (2000) Freedom Schooner Amistad from New Haven. The role of La Amistad was played by another Baltimore Clipper - Pride of Baltimore.
  • The Slave Fortress destroyed at the end of the movie is actually El Morro, an old colonial fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • Djimon Hounsou learned a certain amount of Mende, one of the languages of Sierra Leone, for his role as Cinque.
  • This was the second film for which Anthony Hopkins received an Academy Award nomination for playing a United States President. He was also nominated for playing Richard Nixon in Nixon (1995).
  • This is the first film directed by Spielberg that was released by DreamWorks, of which Spielberg was a co-founder.
  • The majority of this film was filmed in Newport, Rhode Island. The scenes of the United States Capitol building were that of the Rhode Island state house, and some scenes were filmed at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut.
  • The film shows Van Buren making a whistlestop campaign for re-election. This is an anachronism; the nation's railway network was not sufficiently advanced in 1840 to allow such a tactic. It was also considered undignified for candidates to actively seek the presidency. Van Buren and his opponent, William Henry Harrison, allowed subordinates to do the work. However, the railway network as currently exists was largely in place between New York and New Haven, and also at various sites along the mid-Atlantic coast, so it was possible.
  • The movie is referenced in the first Scary Movie film, with a teaser trailer during the theater scene for "Amistad II"

Quotes

  • Cinqué (shouting in court): Give us...us free!
  • John Quincy Adams: Do you understand what the Supreme Court is?
  • Joseph Cinqué (through his interpreter): The place where they finally kill us.

[His advice on trying cases]

  • John Quincy Adams: Whoever tells the best story wins.
  • John Quincy Adams: This man is black, you can see that, but if he were white, we wouldn't be here today.
  • Secretary of State Forsyth: The only thing John Quincy Adams will be remembered for is his middle name.

[After the Supreme Court trial]

  • Joseph Cinqué (through his interpreter): What words did you say to them?
  • John Quincy Adams: Yours.

[During the very first court scene]

  • Advocate of the slave traders: ...and [surrender] that ship out there to my clients José Ruéz (pointing to Pedro Montes)...
  • José Ruiz (interrupts): Yo soy Ruiz! [I am Ruiz]
  • Advocate (corrects his pronunciation): <Joso> Ruéz and Pedro Montes.

[During the very first court scene, soldiers claiming the Africans]

  • Judson : You wish to make this claim above that of the Queen of Spain ?
  • Man Where was she, pray, when we was fightin' the winds to bring this vessel in, your excellency, uh, honor.
  • Spanish Ambassador : Her majesty, the Queen of Spain, was busy ruling a country.

See also

External links

Template:Steven Spielbergde:Amistad (Film) fr:Amistad it:Amistad ja:アミスタッド lt:Amistadas nl:Amistad (film) pl:Amistad pt:Amistad (filme) ru:Амистад (фильм) tr:Amistad (film) zh:勇者無懼 (電影)

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