Friday, Dec. 12, 1997 | 9:42 a.m.
* Grades: Jeff, A; Dave, B+.
* Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman and Djimon Hounsou.
* Screenplay: David Franzoni.
* Director: Steven Spielberg.
* Rated: R for nudity and graphic violence.
* Running Time: 135 minutes.
* Playing at: ACT III Sunset Station, ACT III Boulder Station and Rancho Santa Fe 16.
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Synopsis: In 1839, 39 Africans are captured and placed aboard the Spanish slave ship Amistad. They rebel and seize control of the ship, but are soon captured after a desperate attempt to sail home on their own. They are brought to America to stand trail for murder and mutiny, and become victims of the political system and President Martin Van Buren, whose only goal is to appease the pro-slavery South.
The Africans have one last hope -- former President John Quincy Adams, who is willing to take on their case. He carries the battle all the way to the Supreme Court -- a battle that shakes the very foundation of the American legal system.
This is a true story.
Dave: Is it me, Jeff, or do you see a trend here? In 1993, Steven Spielberg made one of the biggest blockbusters in movie history with his summer smash, "Jurassic Park." In December of that year, he captivated audiences with a shocking story of the Holocaust in "Schindler's List," which went on to receive seven Academy Awards, including those for best picture and director. Four years later, Spielberg returns to add a successful summer sequel to his dino-thriller in "The Lost World" and now, here in December, his latest feature is another historical event that is already flexing its Oscar-potential muscles.
Jeff: Do you think it's a coincidence?
Dave: I find it ironic that he makes two movies about pre-historic beasts and then follows them up with two historic epics with heavy Oscar buzz. Spielberg continues to show his talents as a director and a storyteller by exposing the ugly truths behind the slavery of African-Americans. However, in "Schindler's List," the entire film is a vivid depiction of the attempted Nazi genocide of Jewish people. In "Amistad," only a few scenes that show the terror of the slaves are mixed within a courtroom drama.
Jeff: In "Amistad," Spielberg presents a balanced portrayal of history. He attacks the perception that all slaves existed solely on plantations, an image created by the television mini-series "Roots." But, he reflects the attitudes of the times. A time for change.
In a gripping colonial courtroom display, the prosecuting attorney (Pete Postlethwaite) declares that slavery is an ancient practice that doesn't have an American or European origin. All cultures and societies, including that of the very Africans captured aboard the ship Amistad, admit using slaves for hard labor. An important fact stated in the film is that there were laws to protect Africans who were not slaves. The African captives on the Amistad were not born into slavery and therefore had a different legal status.
Arguments are made in court that the captives were the property of Queen Isabella of Spain, and, at one appalling point, they were referred to as "livestock." But it takes a jailhouse lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) who had a remarkable admiration for the law, and a former U.S. president (Anthony Hopkins) to prove that they were human beings with certain rights. In all, Spielberg's message is that slavery in any civilization, at any time, is immoral and wicked -- a message that hits home.
Dave: Let's not forget the miraculous performance by Djimon Hounsou as Cinque, the brave African slave who leads the revolt against their captors. He reluctantly becomes the speaker for his people as he describes, via a court translator, the horror known as the "Middle Passage," in which slaves were tortured and murdered during the treacherous journey to America.
Jeff: The performance of the year! Hounsou is remarkable. I cannot recall a more striking performance this year -- and he only spoke five words of English. He is the greatest discovery in Hollywood and just his powerful appearance alone blew me away. The entire cast of "Amistad" is Oscar-worthy. Morgan Freeman was amazing as Theodore Joadson, a freed slave now working as an abolitionist, although I had doubts about the accuracy of his character, given the time period of the event. Hopkins' depiction of John Quincy Adams, a man who called attention to the abolitionist movement, dispenses congenial charm, refined wisdom and a touch of humor in portraying the elder statesman.
Dave: As for McConaughey, he delivers a sincere performance and holds his own alongside such a talented cast. But it certainly does not hurt when Spielberg is behind the camera. He allows the story to unfold in a natural fashion instead of completely orchestrating in his own personal style. He leaves only hints of that Spielberg "magic." Not to say that hurts the film's powerful theme, but serves as a bit of a disappointment for any fan of the director.
Jeff: It does lack that Spielberg "touch," but in "Amistad," he has created some of the most disturbing images ever put on film. Within the belly of the slave ship Amistad we encounter true horror. We witness misery, violence, scores of swaying chains and the dumping of slaves chained together into the open sea. Raw, naked emotions, a nightmare that will burn an eternal memory in your mind.
With every Spielberg film, it is important to be aware of his opening image. In "Amistad" it's a close-up of Cinque's eyes, a look inside the soul. See how many times you catch his close-ups of other characters eyes' during the film. Intensifying this impression is the striking score by John Williams, whose music characterizes the heroic spirit of this company of captives trying to return home.
Dave: Wow! I cannot remember the last time you and I agreed on every aspect of a movie, Jeff. Anyway, the film serves an important purpose by calling attention to a symbolic story that will be remembered for all of its truths.
Jeff: "Amistad" is an important film that all Americans should see. It is a story that combines the experiences and events that link all whites and blacks, alike. History must never repeat itself. Spielberg has broken the stereotypes of slaves cowering in the shadow of the white man and delivered a truthful image of proud, intelligent people who could feel, love, think and possess dignity. It's a winner.
MOVIE BUZZ
* Tom and Nicole, where are you?: Pity poor Tom Cruise and wife Nicole Kidman. They started work on the film "Eyes Wide Shut" in November and it won't be finished until late January. Doesn't sound too bad, you say? They started shooting in November of '96. Most films take less than 14 weeks to shoot. This one will take 64 weeks. Leave it to ultra-perfectionist uber-director Stanley Kubrick ("2001: A Space Odyssey," "Full Metal Jacket"). Something tells us Mr. Kubrick is not on the Cruise family's Christmas Card list.
* From the fun-but-outrageous file: This one's pure rumor, but if it's true, the casting is truly inspired: Joe Pesci and Cher starring as those nefarious agents Boris and Natasha in the film version of "Rocky and Bullwinkle." The film, based on the Jay Ward cartoons of the '60s and the landmark TV show, might use a mix of live action and animation.
* Stealing alive: The British journalist who wrote the article on New York disco culture that became the basis of the movie "Saturday Night Fever" has admitted that he made it up. Nick Cohn said the character quoted in the article, played by John Travolta in the '77 film, was actually a composite of a Brooklyn disco-goer glimpsed in a doorway, a teenage gang member and a '60s kid from London named Chris. "I faked it," Cohn admits in a piece marking the 20th anniversary of the movie, in New York magazine, the weekly publication in which the original article appeared.
NEW ON VIDEO
"Contact" (Warner Bros. Home Video; Rated PG; VHS/Laserdisc; Grade, A-.): Based on the best-selling novel by the late scientist Carl Sagan, "Contact" marks the first film for Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis since 1994's "Forrest Gump."
Jodie Foster plays a young astronomer who, after discovering a signal from the star Vega, cracks its numerical code for building a mysterious traveling machine that will allow first "contact" with alien life. Along the way, religion and science are put to the test, one that ultimately evaluates our humanity.
As usual, Foster delivers in one of the year's strongest female roles and is undoubtedly Oscar-worthy. As a child, her character's relationship with her father (David Morse) is touching, yet her fleeting adult romance with a theologian (Matthew McConaughey) is contrived. Solid performances and Zemeckis' confident direction and trick photography make Sagan's tale a thought-provoking and spirited adventure.
"How To Be A Player" (Grammercy Home Video; Rated R; VHS; Grade, F): This is the second-worst film of the year (the worst was "McHale's Navy"). Do not rent it. Do not look at it. Do not pick up the box. Keep going. Walk on by. This is your opportunity to save your hard-earned money.
This awful flick stars MTV VJ Bill Bellamy as a jerk with about 10 girlfriends who addresses us, the audience, advising us on how to be just like him -- a "player."
The filmmakers should have cut up the film and used the pieces for banjo picks. Avoid at all costs. Consider this a public service. Glad we could help.
VIEWPOINT
Twas the weeks before Christmas, and in theatres all around, films about the holidays were nowhere to be found.
Why is it that Hollywood has said "bah humbug" to holiday movies? It used to be that every year you could expect to see at least one or two Christmas films grace movie screens. Do you know how many films about Christmas were released this year? None. Zip. Zilch. Nada. What is going on? Even last year had the reprehensible "Jingle All the Way" (now available on video) to try to get holiday moviegoers into the spirit.
Granted, it's hard to improve on such Christmas classics as "Miracle on 34th Street," "It's a Wonderful Life" and the more recent "A Christmas Story." However, there are still plenty of stories to tell if only Hollywood would just get off its high hobby horse and find them.
There is hope on the horizon as "Jack Frost" (formerly titled "Frosty the Snowman") is in the works. It's a holiday film about a jazz musician who doesn't spend enough time with his child. When he dies, he gets the opportunity to redeem himself by returning as the real, live Frosty the Snowman. Sounds festive, eh? Well, we'll take what we can get.
Ho. Ho. Ho.
NAME THAT FLICK
A very merry Movie Guy congratulations to SUN reader Vance Maguire, who identified last week's quote -- "Oh, Ed, for a minute there you looked like Dirty Harry" -- as being from the John Hughes comedy classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." It was spoken by Grace, the school office assistant, played by Edie McClurg. Way to go Vance!
This week's quote is a little tougher. Who said this and in what film: "You got egg on my uniform. I hate eggs"? If you are the first to call our hotline or e-mail us with the correct answer, we will print your name in all its glory, right here, for all the world to see. Hey -- you can show your family! Pretty cool, huh?
You can reach us at 225-9026 or at [email protected]. Please leave your answer, spell your name and give us your daytime telephone number.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Next week on The Movie Guys, Jeff and Dave get that sinking feeling with "Titanic" and give you their picks for the best holiday films available on home video for you to rent or put in someone's stocking!
THE MOVIE GUYS, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears every Friday in the SUN (additional material provided by Thomas Feeney). You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Scope magazine; listen to their reviews and commentary every Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. on their radio show "Quiet on the Set" on KVBC 105.1-FM; and watch their reviews every Friday on Channel 3's 11 p.m. newscast. Plus, check them out online at: www.lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/movies.
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