Amistad

How this film uses it

We meet Cinqué before we hear his name. We watch him work himself free of his chains in the dark. You learn how determined he is from what his hands do.

Where to see it

The opening escape: Cinqué works a nail loose from the deck, frees himself and leads the uprising on the ship during a storm.

How this film uses it

The court scenes treat each witness as a performance with an audience. Lawyers argue about whether these people are property or human beings. The film suggests the law can reach the truth, but only if someone tells the story well.

Where to see it

The Supreme Court argument: John Quincy Adams stands before the justices and argues the Africans are people with the right to fight for their freedom.

How this film uses it

The uprising and the slave ship scenes use deep dark and sudden bright light. Faces appear and disappear in shadow, which keeps the terror close without much explanation. It stands against the plainer light of the courtroom scenes.

Where to see it

The uprising: Lightning and lantern light flash across the deck as the Africans fight the crew.

How this film uses it

Cinqué and the American lawyers can't talk directly, so the case waits on finding someone who speaks Mende. Once an interpreter arrives, you hear Cinqué's own account for the first time. The film makes you feel how long the captives were spoken about but not heard.

Where to see it

Cinqué tells his story: With an interpreter, Cinqué describes what happened to him and the others on the slave ship.