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Amistad (1997)

Directed by Steven Spielberg · Cinematography by Janusz Kamiński

R155 min60 frames

DramaHistoryMystery

Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are moments when it must be taken.

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Stills, screencaps & shots from Amistad

16 of 60 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — A man stands outdoors at night while heavy rain pours down around him. His skin is soaked and glistening under…Amistad (1997) movie still: closeup — A dark indoor space with blurred light sources in the background. A man in profile stands with light hitting…Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — The deck of a 19th-century wooden sailing ship with rigging visible in the background. An elderly man in a…Amistad (1997) movie still: closeup — A dark wooden paneled room features architectural molding and traditional seating. A Black man wearing a…Amistad (1997) movie still: closeup — A 19th-century room with dark furniture and upholstered chairs. A man in period clothing sits while another…Amistad (1997) movie still: wide — A group of soldiers marches out of a dark stone tunnel of a fortress. The weathered stone walls show significant…Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — The open ocean reflects bright sunlight under a clear sky during the day. A soldier in a military uniform sits…Amistad (1997) movie still: closeup — A dark, dimly lit prison cell features heavy vertical metal bars. A young boy wearing a patterned headwrap…Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — An interior space features a man in nineteenth-century formal attire sitting near a window. A bowl of grapes…Amistad (1997) movie still: wide — A top-down view of an ornate, tiled church floor featuring a dark kneeling man. A large wooden crucifix lies…Amistad (1997) movie still: wide — A massive white neoclassical building stands behind a formal outdoor terrace with winter-bare trees. Small groups…Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — A dark, wood-paneled room features a desk set with a glass carafe and stationery. A man in clerical vestments…Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — A row of judges in traditional black robes sits in a formal legal setting. The men are positioned in profile…Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — A dark, wood-paneled room serves as an assembly hall with many seated participants. A man in a frock coat…Amistad (1997) movie still: medium — A man stands in front of a powerful, bright waterfall in a natural setting. He tilts his head back toward the…Amistad (1997) movie still: closeup — An interior space contains a window with a grid pattern behind the subject. A middle-aged man in a formal…
Amistad (1997) — © DreamWorks Pictures, HBO Films

Amistad — official trailer

What is Amistad about?

In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.

Amistad is a 1997 American historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by David Franzoni, based on the events in 1839 aboard the Spanish slave ship La Amistad, during which Mende tribesmen abducted for the slave trade managed to gain control of their captors' ship off the coast of Cuba, and the international legal battle that followed their capture by the Washington, a U.S. revenue cutter. The case was ultimately resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1841.

Second paragraph from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where can you watch Amistad?

US availability for Amistad (1997). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in Amistad?

Who made Amistad?

What does the cinematography of Amistad look like?

Across 59 sampled frames, Amistad builds its coverage from medium shots (51% of the sample), with close-ups (24%) carrying much of the rest. Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński keeps 44% of it in soft, low-key light. Daylight carries most of the picture. Vintage glass shapes the frame. Focus stays shallow in 71% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1800s.

What is the color palette of Amistad?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of Amistad (1997) are #312e2a, #524f49, #241a14, #161311, #756c57, #a79a89 — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #312e2a
  • #524f49
  • #241a14
  • #161311
  • #756c57
  • #a79a89

See the full Amistad colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

Amistad ranks in

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Techniques in this film

More films by Steven Spielberg

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