Pretty sure Amistad is the worst Steven Spielberg movie. I would gladly debate anyone that disreputable clunkers like Crystal Skull, Lost World and even The BFG (awful!) are better.    They play coy with when they do and don't subtitle the Africans, so they never get to be the protagonists, just plot devices. It's super gross and cynical. Part of Spielberg's agreement with Alice Walker that allowed him to adapt The Color Purple was that the crew had to be at least 50% black, and he's talked about how vital that was to make the film better. Clearly didn't happen again this time.