Fails the Bechdel test
Amistad
1997. Directed by Steven Spielberg, written by David Franzoni.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
1 / 3
Fails
-
Yes
1. At least two women
3 women characters. 1 of them speak. -
No
2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other. -
No
3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.
Second opinion
Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 0 out of 3.
The film
Amistad is the name of a slave ship travelling from Cuba to the U.S. in 1839. It is carrying a cargo of Africans who have been sold into slavery in Cuba, taken on board, and chained in the cargo hold of the ship. As the ship is crossing from Cuba to the U.S., Cinque (Djimon Hounsou), who was a tribal leader in Africa, takes over the ship. They continue to sail, hoping to find their way back to Africa. Instead, they are misdirected and when they reach the United States, they are imprisoned as runaway slaves. They don't speak a word of English, and it seems like they are doomed to die for killing their captors when an abolitionist lawyer decides to take their case, arguing that they were free citizens of another country and not slaves at all. The case finally gets to the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams (Sir Anthony Hopkins) makes an impassioned and eloquent plea for their release.
- Released
- 12 Dec 1997
- Genres
- Biography, Drama, History
- Rated
- R
- IMDb
- 7.3 / 10
- Metascore
- 64 / 100
- Awards
- Nominated for 4 Oscars. 11 wins & 44 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Cinque 147 lines, man
- Baldwin 101 lines, man
- Adams 62 lines, man
- Jocelyn 52 lines, man
- Burna 34 lines, man
- Tappan 25 lines, man
- Saunders 24 lines
- Tu-Ar 19 lines
- Slocum 18 lines, man
- Covey 16 lines, man
Full cast, 131 people
- Morgan Freeman as Theodore Joadson
- Nigel Hawthorne as Martin Van Buren
- Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams
- Djimon Hounsou as Cinque
- Matthew McConaughey as Roger Sherman Baldwin
- David Paymer as Secretary John Forsyth
- Pete Postlethwaite as Holabird
- Stellan Skarsgård as Tappan
- Razaaq Adoti as Yamba
- Abu Bakaar Fofanah as Fala
- Anna Paquin as Queen Isabella
- Tomas Milian as Calderon
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Ensign Covey
- Derrick N. Ashong as Buakei
- Geno Silva as Ruiz
- John Ortiz as Montes
- Ralph Brown as Lieutenant Gedney
- Darren E. Burrows as Lieutenant Meade
- Allan Rich as Judge Juttson
- Paul Guilfoyle as Attorney
- Peter Firth as Captain Fitzgerald
- Xander Berkeley as Hammond
- Jeremy Northam as Judge Coglin
- Arliss Howard as John C. Calhoun
- Willie Amakye as Folowa - Amistad African
- Luc Assogba as Gbatui - Amistad African
- Mariah Campbell as Masery - Amistad African
- Habib Conteh as Bai - Amistad African
- Stephen Conteh as Morlai - Amistad African
- Monguehy Fanzy as Fabanna - Amistad African
- Jimmy Fotso as Kwong - Amistad African
- Adekunle Ilori as Kahei - Amistad African
- Sheriff Kargbo as Almamy - Amistad African
- Saye Lah as Kessebe - Amistad African
- Sylvestre Massaquoi as Santigiie - Amistad African
- Samson Odede as Kpona - Amistad African
- Chike Okpala as Sorie - Amistad African
- Willie Onafesso as Jina - Amistad African
- Samuel Pieh as Suuleh - Amistad African
- Lansana Sawi as Morlu - Amistad African
- Abu Sidique as Tsukama - Amistad African
- El Hadj Malik Sow as Golabu - Amistad African
- Lamine Thiam as Mahmud - Amistad African
- Austin Pendleton as Professor Gibbs
- Daniel von Bargen as Warden Pendleton
- Rusty Schwimmer as Mrs. Pendleton
- Pedro Armendáriz Jr. as General Espatero
- Frank T. Wells as Crier
- Michael Massee as Prison Guard
- Roy Cooper as Pickney
- Jake Weber as Mr. Wright
- Victor Rivers as Captain Ferrar
- Joseph Kosseh as Birmaja
- Steve Passewe as Cinque's In-Law
- Sherly Acosta Williams as Cinque's Wife
- Matt Sarles as Young Aide
- George Gerdes as Marshal
- Gerald R. Molen as Magistrate
- Kevin J. O'Connor as Missionary
- Robert E. Walsh as Guardsman
- Sean McGuirk as Courier
- Tony Owen as Farmer
- William Young as Businessman
- Michael Riley as British Officer
- León Singer as Don Pablo
- Castulo Guerra as Spanish Priest
- Harry Groener as Tecora Captain
- Hawthorne James as Creole Cook
- Ingrid Walters as Woman Overboard with Baby
- Harry A. Blackmun as Associate Justice Joseph Story
- Curtis Shields as Bassie - Additional Amistad African
- Carlos Spivey as Chike - Additional Amistad African
- Charles Udoma as Kessebe - Additional Amistad African
- Andrew L. Josiah as Tamba - Additional Amistad African
- Tony Onafesso as Baa - Additional Amistad African
- Peter Mansaray as Kapr - Additional Amistad African
- Clarence Mobley as Kenei - Additional Amistad African
- Brian Macon as Yauai - Additional Amistad African
- Edward Appiah as Followolo - Additional Amistad African
- Denver Dowridge as Kpau - Additional Amistad African
- Paul Mwakutuya as Sessi - Additional Amistad African
- Rory Burton as Vakina - Additional Amistad African
- Samuel Orekhio as Fawni - Additional Amistad African
- Omo Lara Tosin as Kula - Additional Amistad African
- Ransford Thomas as Alkali - Additional Amistad African
- Juliette Darko as Teme - Additional Amistad African
- Charlean Isata Bangalie as Margru - Additional Amistad African
- Roosevelt Flenoury as Njaooni - Additional Amistad African
- M.S. Kaleiwo as Kaleiwo - Additional Amistad African
- Tesfay Yohannes as Amistad African Extra
- George Kamara as Amistad African Extra
- Abdul-Fatai Balogun as Amistad African Extra
- Yaya Sissoko as Amistad African Extra
- Amadou Traore as Amistad African Extra
- Marlon Francis as Amistad African Extra
- Bundu Kamara as Amistad African Extra
- James Moses as Amistad African Extra
- Daniel Reid as Amistad African Extra
- Seydou Coulibaly as Amistad African Extra
- Lawal Tajudeen as Amistad African Extra
- Lester Mombelly as Amistad African Extra
- Ibrahim Sesay as Amistad African Extra
- Jeremy Shelton as Amistad African Extra
- Andrew Shoemo as Amistad African Extra
- Prince Coke as Amistad African Extra
- Ahmed Bangura as Amistad African Extra
- Bernard Singleton as Amistad African Extra
- Desere Mondon as Amistad African Extra
- Baboucar Jobe as Amistad African Extra
- Christopher Annino as Blacksmith (uncredited)
- Susan Bergeron as Tyler Speech Attendee (uncredited)
- Eric Bruno Borgman as First Jury Juror (uncredited)
- Luis Cabrera as Spanish Guard (uncredited)
- Craig Calman as Abolitionist (uncredited)
- KimStacy Carter as Tecora Slave (uncredited)
- Lisa Cavanaugh as Prostitute (uncredited)
- Leonard Clifton as Slave (uncredited)
- Alex Daunis as Clerk of Supreme Court (uncredited)
- Nino Del Padre as Court Witness (uncredited)
- Johnny Egan as Judge Coglin (voice) (uncredited)
- Chris Fagan as Villager (uncredited)
- Lawrence Gaughan as Spaniard (uncredited)
- Morgan Hobart as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
- Nick King as Villager (uncredited)
- Luis Muñoz as Spanish Slave Guard (uncredited)
- Ungenita Prevost as Tecora Slave (uncredited)
- Glendon Rich as Slave / Abolishionist (uncredited)
- Kevin M. Simon as Abolishionist (uncredited)
- John H. Tobin as Supreme Court Reporter (uncredited)
- Harrison Young as Congressman (uncredited)
- Al Conti as Defense Attorney (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 17% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 116
Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.
Show the numbers
| Scenes | Women's lines | Men's lines |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 to 6 | 0 | 8 |
| 7 to 9 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 to 12 | 0 | 14 |
| 13 to 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 18 | 0 | 3 |
| 19 to 21 | 0 | 9 |
| 22 to 24 | 0 | 20 |
| 25 to 27 | 0 | 47 |
| 28 to 30 | 0 | 23 |
| 31 to 33 | 0 | 23 |
| 34 to 36 | 1 | 4 |
| 37 to 39 | 3 | 26 |
| 40 to 42 | 0 | 38 |
| 43 to 45 | 0 | 7 |
| 46 to 48 | 0 | 32 |
| 49 to 51 | 1 | 12 |
| 52 to 54 | 0 | 28 |
| 55 to 57 | 1 | 6 |
| 58 to 60 | 0 | 1 |
| 61 to 63 | 0 | 38 |
| 64 to 66 | 0 | 20 |
| 67 to 69 | 0 | 0 |
| 70 to 72 | 0 | 30 |
| 73 to 75 | 0 | 0 |
| 76 to 78 | 0 | 11 |
| 79 to 81 | 0 | 12 |
| 82 to 84 | 0 | 0 |
| 85 to 87 | 0 | 13 |
| 88 to 90 | 0 | 3 |
| 91 to 93 | 0 | 3 |
| 94 to 96 | 0 | 4 |
| 97 to 99 | 0 | 32 |
| 100 to 102 | 0 | 46 |
| 103 to 105 | 0 | 22 |
| 106 to 108 | 0 | 11 |
| 109 to 111 | 0 | 12 |
| 112 to 114 | 0 | 3 |
| 115 to 116 | 0 | 4 |
The evidence
- Straight from the script
- Counted from the script and the credits
Tap an exhibit to open it.
Exhibit A: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 1 are women's.
6 lines from women, 575 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit B: who's in it
3 women and 48 men in the cast. 1 women and 25 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 196 of 703.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 325 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 2% of the words (192), men 98% (8,328). Women have 1% of the lines, so their lines run longer than men's.
Exhibit D: the test the other way
Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.
Conversations between two named characters
Two women
0
Two men
76
Exhibit E: behind the camera
4 of the 12 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 22% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Steven Spielberg (man)
- Written by
- David Franzoni (man)
- Produced by
- Steven Spielberg (man), Colin Wilson (man), Debbie Allen (woman)
- Shot by
- Janusz Kamiński (man)
- Edited by
- Michael Kahn (man)
- Music by
- John Williams (man)
- Production design by
- Rick Carter (man)
- Costumes by
- Ruth E. Carter (woman)
- Cast by
- Victoria Thomas (woman), Tere López (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Other crew
4 women, 16 men, 8 not listed
-
Sound
0 women, 7 men, 10 not listed
-
Production
5 women, 7 men
-
Art
1 women, 5 men, 1 not listed
-
Camera
0 women, 3 men
-
Costume & Make-Up
2 women, 1 men
-
Directing
1 women, 1 men
-
Editing
0 women, 2 men
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit F: how old the stars were
Men: 46 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Men
Razaaq Adoti 24, Matthew McConaughey 28, Djimon Hounsou 33, David Paymer 43, Stellan Skarsgård 46, Pete Postlethwaite 51, Anthony Hopkins 59, Morgan Freeman 60, Nigel Hawthorne 68
Exhibit G: the money
It made 1.2 times what it cost.
- Budget
- $36 million
- Box office
- $44.2 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 116 scenes and 703 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
