Amistad (1997) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

Amistad
MPA: R BBFC: 15 Maturity Rating 16+
MPAA Reason
Rated R for some scenes of strong brutal violence and some related nudity.
BBFC Reason
strong violence
BBFC Ratings info
AMISTAD is a US period drama which concerns events following a mutiny on board a slave ship Violence: During the slave revolt, there are scenes in which a man is attacked with an axe, a man's throat is cut, and a slave rams a sword through a man's chest; all of which are accompanied by blood spurts There are also scenes in which slaves are whipped and deliberately drowned. In one scene a woman clutching her baby jumps overboard, drowning herself and the baby. There are also some scenes of male and female nudity; however, these scenes are not sexualised.

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Sex & Nudity

moderate

Several scenes include full frontal male and female nudity of African slaves presented very matter-of-factly in the context of degradation. There is one or two scenes on the ship in which the slaves are on the deck and the captors are sexually assaulting them, but it is hard to find and very brief.

Violence & Gore

severe

There are two sequences on board slave ships which show slaves being whipped and abused. These sequences include, among other things, shootings, slashings, and drownings. (The drowning is graphic: people are chained to a net full of rocks and then one by one pulled by the rocks into the ocean, screaming the whole time.) One of the scenes includes a death in childbirth with the body thrown overboard. These scenes are very bloody indeed, even to the point of blood spraying on a character's face from a lashing. Also a man is shown being run through with a large sword, and the sword being drawn out afterwards. Compared to those sequences, the other incidents of violence are almost inconsequential. A number of men who have been shot to death in battle are shown. A woman carrying a baby commits suicide by purposely sitting on the side of the ship and falling off.

Profanity

none

None.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

mild

A couple of characters smoke a pipe or a cigar during relaxation and reflection. Drinking is presented in such an off-hand manner as to go largely unnoticed.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

severe

The scenes of violence as well as the predicaments the slaves find themselves in are very intense and might be frightening/disturbing to some viewers.