12 Years a Slave (2013)

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

12 Years a Slave completely blew me away. Every element of the film is very well done, and I was deeply immersed in Solomon's perspective. The first thing that jumps out is the cast - one of the great all-time casts, with each giving a great performance, particularly Ejiofor, Nyongo, and Fassbender. Ejiofor really connects emotionally with the viewer and his changes as slavery wears on him were visible and devastating. What elevates this movie to another level is McQueen's direction - he clearly shows how slavery is a complex, ingrained structure and the he keeps you immersed in Solomon's life nonstop. While some were bothered by the lack of mention of time passing, I think it reinforces the idea that it feels like it will never end and keeps the viewer dialed in. The brutality of slavery was very evident. Zimmer's score, as always, added to the scene progressions. Between the excellent technical elements and the searing depiction of slavery, this is an all-time great.

12 Years A Slave is an remarkable true story that tells the life of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) a free African American who lived in Saratoga, New York with his wife and two children. After he was convinced to travel to Washington for two weeks to work with two musicians who promised him work, he was drugged, chained, beaten, and stripped of his identity. He was then given the name Platt and sold into slavery in the deep south. Throughout his twelve years as a slave, he was owned by two men, Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender) who treated him in diverse ways. Ford was a civil master who treated Solomon with kindness but was forced to sell him to Edwin Apps due to a violent situation that occurred between Solomon and one of the plantation managers who was jealous of his intelligence. This violent situation caused Solomon to live through fair during the remainder of his time as a slave. Considering that this occurred during the pre-civil times in the United States, it is obvious to see that the film is based on slavery along with self-entitlement and self-gain. Justice was wrongly served to Solomon and even though his first master (Ford) was aware of this, he only cared to cover his debts and the investment that he had put into purchasing Solomon as a slave. The film easily maintained a repetitive theme of individuals who understood that what they were doing was wrong, but they did not care to correct it due to society and the current circumstances. A key example of this is shown when Solomon was bribed to travel with two men who promised to pay him for his performance, but instead, they drugged and sold him as a slave. Another film that represents the key elements of this theme is Selma as it also covers the roles of whites, whether it be as slave-owners or segregationist. Selma also focuses on the cruelty and violence against African Americans. Overall, 12 Years A Slave is a great film and the director used great techniques to capture the horror that Solomon Northup encountered as a slave. Two great techniques that were used included the quality of images along with the angles and lighting. An example of this included the candlelight that was illuminating in the dark which resembled a time when Solomon was struggling with his sanity. Great angles were used to capture his emotions and the fear that he felt as he lived his life as a slave. Though Solomon struggled to survive due to the cruelty and hardships that he faced, through faith, and the willpower to survive, he managed to endure his twelve years as a slave.

With many fine actors, a remarkable subject matter and the number of accolades it received, '12 Years a Slave' was watched by me with high expectations.For me, '12 Years a Slave' is not quite as good as the hype and isn't one of my favourite Best Picture winners. It could have been truly extraordinary, but it wasn't quite despite having individual elements that were that adjective. Can see though why it has been so well received, while also seeing where those who didn't like it are coming from in their reservations (though not sharing the vitriolic way they've been expressed by some). It may not be perfect, but from personal opinion, and quite a big number of others, it was tremendously powerful and very brave,'12 Years A Slave' may have some one-sided and conveniently black and white characterisation. It may not say anything new about the subject. Some of the cast, like Paul Giamatti and Benedict Cumberbatch (though they are excellent still), are underused. And Brad Pitt and his dialogue did feel out of place and the dialogue additionally coming over as heavy-handed. On the other hand, to tell the story from the viewpoint of the enslaved was a brave decision in an industry where few films have done it, and it comes over very well on the whole. The treatment of the slaves is not for the faint-hearted, they are shockingly harrowing and not comfortable to watch but they don't feel that gratuitous. There are some emotionally devastating moments, such as the ending and the long shot of Northup singing.Steve McQueen was the right director for the film, a film that needed to be told in a brutal and honest way and being a director with that directing style McQueen brings that out perfectly in a bravura directing job. '12 Years a Slave' is very impressive visually and technically, and Hans Zimmer's score is suitably stirring.John Ridley's script adapts Northup's memoir with tautness, honesty and sincerity, not subtly mind you but it's not a subtle subject. It only falters with Pitt's dialogue. The acting is superb, with Chiwetel Ejiofor's powerfully restrained and sincere performance wholly deserving of its acclaim. Lupita N'Yong'o, very moving, and Michael Fassbender, at his most frightening, are more than up to his level, as are Sarah Paulson and Paul Dano. Overall, extraordinary it isn't but an emotionally impactful film it certainly is. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I really enjoyed the movie. I thought it was very moving and real unlike most movies that depict slavery. It is such a sad thing to see but I feel as if the director and producers did an amazing job with the delivery of the whole thing. I felt as if I were in the production myself. The scene where Patsey is tied to the tree and has to be whipped and the plantation owner makes Solomon do it is so heartbreaking, and even when the mother gets separated from her children I felt her pain. Solomon tries his best to survive in the conditions that he is subjected to, especially being a freeman that was captured into slavery. I think he does his best to try and keep his head up and towards the end of the movie it all pays off and the ending is somewhat joyous because he finally is reunited with his family, but the ending of the movie also reveals that the men that sold him into slavery faced no repercussions. Overall I enjoyed the movie very much.