One of the most important films of the century, 12 Years a Slave offers an honest and brutal look at the history of slavery in America. It's as rough a watch as intended and a powerful story of perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.
Based on true events, the film follows Free African American Solomon Northup who lives in New York with his family and works as a skilled violinist. Two white men hire Solomon to perform in Washington DC, but they instead drug him and sell him to a slave pen. What follows is a cruel odyssey as Solomon has his name and freedom taken away and spends the next twelve years of his life in chains.
Director Steve McQueen (not to be confused with the late actor of the same name) is a director known for his films dealing with heavy subject matters, which is no different here. 12 Years a Slave is a hard movie to watch, but that's by design. McQueen and Cinematogprher Sean Bobbit immerse the audience into this film in such a visceral way. The best example of this is the powerful scene where Solomon is hanged on a tree for hours. The sequence goes on for 4 agonizing minutes as we see Solomon struggling to breathe while in the background the day goes as almost nothing is done to ease Solomon's suffering. There are several sequences like this where McQueen holds on to various shots and sequences, and it's captured in a way that no matter what, you can't turn away from it. There is also no real emphasis on the passage of time. Life goes on as days turn to months and months turn to years unceremoniously. While Solomon never truly gives up hope that he will find a way out, the failures of finding a way to freedom and the passing of time force him to realize that this may be the rest of his life.
The film's honest look at slavery and the line between good and evil. A fascinating example of this is the character of William Ford and Solomon's first master. Ford is a decent enough man, he treats Solomon and his fellow slaves with compassion and decency and regularly holds mass for the slaves where he preaches from the bible. But Ford still willingly partakes in the enslavement and trade of human beings, and the fact that he is a devout Christian fuels the dark irony in all this. Solomon's final and longest-serving master Edwin Epps is as far from Ford as possible. There is nothing black and white about Epps, he is about as cruel as they come in the world of slavery. He has slaves that don't meet their cotton-picking quota beaten and frequently rapes one of his female slaves named Patsey. Like Ford, Epps preaches for his slaves, but his verses are altered in a way that makes his harsh treatment biblically sanctioned.
12 Years a Slave wouldn't work as well without some of the terrific performances on display here. Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance as Solomon is devastating and powerful. Watching this man endure all these horrible things is truly gutwrenching. Ejiofor's best scenes though are in the smaller details. There are several scenes where he is quiet and restrained in his performance and it's those scenes where you have to see how he feels from his facial expressions and body language where he shines. like Ralph Fiennes's portrayal of Nazi Commandant Amon Goeth in Schindler's List Micheal Fassbender's performance as Solomon's owner Edwin Epps is terrifying because it's real. The idea that there were men like these is a distressing thought, and Fassbender knocks out the park to show that. Lupita Nyong'o's Oscar-winning turn as Patsey is a physical representation of the worst of Epp's cruelty. Patsey is the best at picking cotton among Epp's slaves, and this has led to Epp's becoming infatuated with her, and frequently raping her, which causes Epp's jealous wife to physically abuse her. This abuse of Patsey leads to the film's final act of violence shown on screen, in which Mrs. Epps forces her husband to have Patsey whipped. Epps agrees to do this but forces Solomon to partake in the whipping, an act that almost breaks Solomon completely.
12 Years Slave is an emotional tour de force. Even at the end of the film when Solomon is a free man and reunited with his family, any sense of happiness is shrouded in the ugliness displayed throughout the film. Despite said ugliness, this is a film that everyone should see at least once.
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