AMISTAD

[indianasmith]

I have seen this movie many times - I show a slightly edited version of it to my 8th graders every year in U.S. history.

What a magnificent film!  All the performances are spot-on - Anthony Hopkins is a wonderful old codger as John Quincy Adams, Matthew MaConohay is excellent as geeky attorney Roger Baldwin, and Morgan Freeman has a great role as a black abolitionist.  But the movie is owned by Djimon Hansou as Cinque, the leader of the Amistad slaves who courageously fights with sword and legal acumen to win their freedom and return to Africa.  If you have never seen this film, it is wonderful!!!

[ER]

A fine film. Arliss Howard's turn as John C. Calhoun also sticks out in my mind as one of the many strong performances here.

[indianasmith]

Absolutely!! He is only in one scene, but his character dominates and intimidates every person in the room!

Hopkins delivering Adams' closing speech to the Supreme Court is perhaps my favorite speech in any movie, ever!  Why can't we talk like that any more?

My 8th graders were fascinating to watch.  The upper track bunch seemed to follow the movie quite well and enjoyed it, but were saddened and shocked by the final lines of the epilogue.  The other class . . . . their reactions ranged from "This movie was retarded!" to "Mr. Smith, I don't get any of it!  Which character was Adams and which one was Cinque?"

At which point teacher goes home and slits his wrists . . . . .

[ER]

DUDE, like, check it OUT! The American language is, like, so...whatever, you know? Like, what's the word? Ummmmm....Oh, yeah!  DOOMED.

[indianasmith]

karma for that one, EMMR!!!