Alan Jones Radio Times Apr 12, 2024 3/5

Although flawed, this chilling movie further reveals Spielberg's skill as an expert film-maker unafraid of tackling heavy political

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Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) Jan 10, 2023 B+

A much finer movie than Spielberg's sophomoric The Color Purple, it has power and dignity and it leads us into new places.

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Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Dec 25, 2022 3.5/5

Whether or not Steven Spielberg is the right filmmaker for the job, Amistad tells an important story in not just American but world history.

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Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight Nov 23, 2022 3/4

Spielberg is a natural at portraying sickness, hunger, death and all horrible feelings that could be associated with slavery. His opening sequence easily blends the flickering lighting with the mutiny aboard La Amistad.

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Eric L. McKitrick The New York Review of Books Aug 17, 2018

Amistad is certainly a film of considerable power.

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Yael Shuv Total Film Jun 1, 2018 3/5

Amistad is worth seeing for the stormy scenes on board the slave boat, and for Djimon Hounsou's magnetic performance. Otherwise, it can't decide on its direction, and this unique historical event is stifled into a less than thrilling courtroom drama.

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Mike Clark USA Today Jan 9, 2018 3.5/4

The narrative perils are daunting in this little-known true tale of a bloody slave-ship rebellion in 1839 and its jumbled aftermath in the U.S. judicial system.

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Jason Bailey Vice Dec 15, 2017

'Amistad' may not be the first, or fifth, or tenth film people talk about when Spielberg's name comes up. But it has more moments that will put your hair on end than other filmmakers' best works, and that says something.

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Sep 7, 2011 C

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media Dec 21, 2010 4/5

Powerful story for mid-teens and up.

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Geoff Andrew Time Out Jun 24, 2006

In short, a wordy courtroom drama which seldom progresses beyond ciphers, stereotypes and salutary slogans.

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Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid May 26, 2006 3/4

Amistad is worth seeing just for people to know about this important story, this moment in history. But from the world's most powerful, successful and famous director, we expect more.

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Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Feb 13, 2006 3/4

Aiming to instruct and entertain, and often struggling to reconcile these goals, Amistad lacks the subtlety of tone and simplicity of form that made Schindler's List one of Spielberg's very best; here, however, every idea and image are too explicit.

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Tom Meek Film Threat Dec 6, 2005 3/5

Fortunately, the dry, courtroom banter is interjected with powerful accounts of the violent, inhumane atrocities inflicted on the slaves by Spanish merchants.

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Robin Clifford Reeling Reviews Apr 9, 2005 B+

Amistad is the telling of an interesting event in American history, but doesn't draw its audience in to the heart of the story.

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Jeffrey Overstreet JeffreyOverstreet.com (Ghost.io) Dec 6, 2004 B

This is the most straightforward, understated, and powerful big-screen representation of the gospel in recent movie history. And for that, Amistad should be recommended to everyone.

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Dragan Antulov rec.arts.movies.reviews Dec 18, 2003 5/10

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Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Jul 19, 2003 B+

As with Schindler’s List, Spielberg allows his subjects to be remote and somewhat unknowable human beings, creating an air of documentary-like authenticity.

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Eugene Novikov Film Blather May 22, 2003 B+

Amistad is the kind of movie that makes a tired topic seem fresh and entertaining again.

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Susan Tavernetti Palo Alto Weekly May 20, 2003 3.5/4

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