I watched the movie Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg. This movie is a drama about a historical event. The La Amistad was a slave ship. In 1839 a group of Africans who were captured and being transported on the Amistad revolted and killed the crew aboard. They are recaptured and put on trial in America. The score for the film was composed and produced by John Williams. He is a staple in the film industry. Some of his many other film scores included Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, to just name a few.
             The music in Amistad is orchestral. There is a heavy use of strings, flutes, drums and trumpets. Some "traditional West African Chants" are sprinkled throughout the film as well. The songs composed by John Williams include: "Dry Your Tears Africa, Sierra Leone, 1839 and the Capture of Cinque, Crossing the Atlantic, Cinque's Theme, Cinque's Memories of Home, Middle Passage, The Long Road to Justice, July 4, 1839, Mr. Adams Takes the Case, La Amistad Remembered, The Liberation of Lomboko, Adam's Summation, and Going Home." I do not know the genre of the music, but it is described in an article, on , as "...the drum rhythms of Africa and, on the other side of the ledger, early 19th –century American music..."
             It appears to me that John Williams composed the music directly around the movie. I felt that each piece of music suited the movie well. Two different versions of "Dry Your Tears Africa" are used once early in the film with the accompanying vocals and a quieter version towards the end of the film. This song invokes strong emotions about the plight of the Africans. Some of the other songs in the movie represent music that may have been heard during that period. Again I felt it was used well to create an emotional response to what I was watching. There is, for example, a time when the Amistad, under African control, passes a ship with white people having a dinner part...