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Before its release
in late fall 1997, Amistad had all the earmarks of a sure-bet
at Oscar time. It survived a years-long struggle to bring
it to the screen, was led by an impressive cast led by Sir
Anthony Hopkins and Morgan Freeman, boasted the historical
subject matter the Academy loves, and had some guy named Spielberg
at the helm. However, controversy soon engulfed the film,
and its failure to rack up multiple Oscar noms and big box
office was one of the bigger surprises of that year.
Just a few weeks
prior to its release, charges of plagiarism dogged Amistad,
and although the case was eventually settled out of court,
the film never quite escaped the negative press. Controversy
aside, however, critical reaction was also more mixed than
many expected, and it never quite made an impact commercially.
Some simply argued that the subject of slavery, the success
of the miniseries Roots aside, is still not something the
American public is ready to deal with (and which the poor
reception of last fall's Beloved reinforced for many). Others
argued that the film was simply unfocused, or worse, a well-meaning
but overbearing polemic that lost sight of subtlety beneath
the weight of its own self-importance.
Though I admire
many of the works of Steven Spielberg, admittedly Amistad
is not his strongest film. Long
thought of as "the Peter Pan of cinema" by critics
and the cinema elite, Spielberg finally gained the critical
(and Academy) recognition that had eluded him for so long
with the major success of Schinder's List. After sleepwalking
through the disappointing Jurassic Park sequel The Lost World,
Spielberg has since focused exclusively on historical subject
matter, subsequently helming both Amistad and Saving Private
Ryan back to back. Though both Schinder's and Ryan managed
to tell strong, powerful stories with a clear focus, Amistad
unfortunately becomes mired in too many subplots and extraneous
characters, which subsequently blunted its impact.
The film begins
powerfully and with great promise, as we are thrust immediately
into a slave revolt on the ship La Amistad. The initial uprising
sequence is frightening, visceral and powerfully rendered.
After killing most of their captors on board, the slaves are
unable to master sailing the ship on their own while being
deceived the remaining crew members, and eventually the ship
lands on the shores of America. The enslaved Africans are
quickly captured and put on trial for murder and treason.
Unfortunately,
it is here that I felt the film started to lose its way. For
the first 20 minutes, it seemed that, finally, a story would
be told from the point of view the Africans, but once again,
the film quickly turns into another courtroom drama where
the noble white people must save helpless black people. More
damaging, there are just too many characters in the piece.
When taken by themselves, the characters are interesting and
the performances powerful (aside from Matthew McConaughey,
who seems in over his head), but just who is the main character
supposed to be here?
With a tighter
script, it would be the leader of the enslaved tribe, Cinque.
Quite simply, as played by the incredible find Djimon Hounsou,
he simply blows everyone else off the screen. His story and
performance is the heart of the piece, and I think the film
really missed the boat by quickly reducing him and the plight
of his tribe to supporting players. Hence they become more
of an two-dimensional abstract mass functioning as symbol
than three-dimensional human beings. Unfortunately, the film
just seems to be more interested in platitudes than people.
However, there
is still a lot to appreciate here in the performance of Hounsou,
the beautiful cinematography, John Williams' elegant score,
and the impressive set and costume design. And
there are some typically powerful Spielberg moments, the story
is riveting and is an important part of American history.
So, even though the film often feels a bit confused and meandering,
it is an interesting mix and match with many
impressive passages. It is just unfortunate that it never
comes together as a cohesive whole, and proves to not quite
be more than the sum of its parts.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Though
the last of the major studios to commit to DVD, DreamWorks
has quickly established themselves with top-drawer transfers,
and Amistad is no exception. This is quite simply a reference-quality
presentation. The anamorphic, 1.85:1 widescreen transfer
is flawless. I'm usually pretty nitpicky with giving a disc
the highest rating, but I just couldn't find fault with the
image. The usual magnificent cinematography by longtime Spielberg
collaborator Janusz Kaminski is beautifully rendered on this
DVD, with deep blacks, rich colors and not a hint of grain,
speckles or artifacts. Though one may not think of Amistad
when thinking of a reference-quality image, due to the fact
it doesn't involve the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park or the earth-shattering
comet of Deep Impact, Amistad is easily showcase material.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The
dynamic 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is right on par with
the transfer. Though you may not think of Amistad as the type
of film with a rattling soundtrack, I was really started by
the power of the bass and dynamic range on the disc. Spielberg
is no dummy, and he certainly hires the best technical talent
in Hollywood, so from the quietest whisper to the loudest
cannon, the soundtrack is impeccable. The ambient soundtrack
is completely immersive, and pans and directional rendering
is spot-on. And thankfully, unlike many recent soundtracks,
the dialogue is not overpowered in the mix by the effects
or music, for a perfectly balanced presentation.
Though
not labeled on the packaging, a 2.0 Surround mix is also provided,
which isn't nearly as engulfing as the full 5.1 mix, though
it does sound better than the downmixed 5.1. So, a nice addition
to the disc, though go 5.1 if you can. No alternate language
tracks are provided.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
Though
not a full-fledged member of DreamWork's Signature Series
line of special edition releases, there is more here than
meets the eye. Aside from the usual very nice motion menu
(I think DreamWorks consistently makes the classiest menus
of any studio), cast & crew biographies, production notes
(which are thankfully reproduced in the printed booklet as
well as on screen) and theatrical trailer, there is a "featurette"
that actually runs nearly 30 minutes in length.
Usually,
the word "featurette" makes me cringe instantly,
but "The Making Of Amistad" documentary included
here is much better than expected. It contains interviews
with all the principal actors, Producer Debbie Allen, Cinematographer
Janusz Kaminski, Spielberg and other members of the production
team. Though not as extensive as some other full-length documentaries,
it does go more in-depth into the production than expected,
and was a nice surprise. (Now,
if only I could figure out just what that thing Debbie Allen
is wearing on her head is in her interview segment.)
Parting Thoughts
Though the film is not perfect, and historical epics may not be
everyone's cup of tea, the film is still worth seeing despite its
uneven moments. The disc may not be the full-fledged special edition
some fans may have hoped for, but the quality of this disc cannot
be denied. Enthusiasts of the film should not be disappointed, and
it is worth checking out if you've never seen it before or are a
Spielberg fan. Recommended.
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