Captives from Africa aboard a Spanish slave ship revolt and take control, but are re-captured and taken to the USA. Various factions claim ownership of these people, and a trial is required to attempt to settle the situation. This is one of those very important Spielberg films, portraying a significant and specific moment in history, with a phenomenal cast that had me going “Hey it’s that guy!” every 5-10 minutes. When your cast boasts the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Paymer, Ralph Brown, John Ortiz, Anna Paquin, Stellan Skarsgard, Xander Berkeley and Pete Postlethwaite amongst it’s supporting members, you know there’s going to be something worth your time.

For the most part there is, this is a very well made film in every way, though it does feel a little like Spielberg is trying to tap the Schindler’s List well for more Oscar glory, and it absolutely sits alongside Schindler’s List as a film that’s at times incredibly gruelling to sit through. The numerous horrific acts we witness the African people being subjected to are nauseating, as is the overall premise of rich white guys arguing over people, claiming them to be “property”. It’s abhorrent and upsetting, and viscerally depicted.

The scenes of the Africans, who speak no English words at all, attempting to comprehend this wholly unfamiliar world around them are some of the most compelling, and Djimon Hounsou gives the most astounding performance that was somehow overlooked to nominate Anthony Hopkins in doddery old man mode. He’s good, yes, but it’s hardly a revelatory performance, even if he supposedly did do one long scene in one long take.

My perspective on the film gets a little worse when compared to the real-world events on which it is based, as characters were amalgamated or concocted entirely, and the film establishes the events within to be the tipping point of the entire slavery issue, despite that not really occurring for decades after these events took place. I’m not trying to downplay the significance of what happened to Cinque and the others, not at all, it just feels like the film is insinuating that there were no more slaves the day after the events of the film took place, which is not the case by a long shot. I also got Glory vibes, wherein a predominantly black story is told more from the white perspective than those intricately a part of it, and the film ends with an American Graffiti-esque depressing post-script that feels like it’s kicking you when you’re already down.

Choose Film 7/10