12 Years a Slave (2013)
Cast includes: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dirty Pretty Things), Paul Giamatti (Sideways), Benedict Cumberbatch (War Horse, Sherlock), Paul Dano (Ruby Sparks), Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Sarah Paulson (Game Change), Lupita Nyong’o (Non-Stop), Alfre Woodard (K-PAX), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Bryan Batt (Mad Men)
Writer: John Ridley (U Turn, Three Kings, Red Tails)
Director: Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame)
Genre: Drama | History (133 minutes) Based on the autobiographic book by Solomon Northup
“Y’all fresh niggers… y’all gonna be in sugar cane.” The overseer instructs the fresh slaves on harvesting cane. It’s hard work, but Platt’s not afraid of hard work. At night he has flashbacks to the days when he was Solomon Northup, a free man in Saratoga, NY. He earned a nice living as a fiddle player, but the extra money his wife brought in came in handy. This time, Mrs. Northup and their two children would be away for over three weeks. When two gentlemen offer Solomon a job in Washington DC, paying $1 per day… “We have a devil of a time finding talented musicians”… Solomon figures, why not. After the job is done, the three celebrate… “Here’s to Solomon.” Solomon didn’t realize he had “too many libations.” “Well boy, how you feelin now?” Solomon is chained to the floor. “You have no right what’s so ever to detain me. I’m a free man.” “You’re no free man… You’re just a runaway nigger from Georgia.” It’ll take quite a beating to convince Solomon that he’s not a free man.
Solomon and several others are loaded like sardines into a wagon and transported down south. After giving up on the idea of escape, Solomon thinks he needs to explain himself. “If you want to survive, you need to say as little as possible… Tell no one you can read and write… Survival’s about keeping your head down.” Solomon can’t believe what he’s hearing. “I don’t want to survive. I want to live.” At the slave market, he learns his name is “Platt,” and his price is $1,000. It won’t take long for plantation owners and overseers to figure out that he’s an “exceptional nigger,” but “I fear no good will come of it.”
Based on actual events from the 1853 book by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave gives us a view of slavery that’s even more disturbing than previous depictions. The acting is outstanding, especially Chiwetel Ejiofor. We really feel both his determination and his despair. Although the film gives us a graphic portrayal of the violence, it also gives us insights into the slave-owning mentality. We see the elaborate twisting of rational thinking in order to justify the right to own other humans. Even benevolent slave owners had no misgivings about their rights. Eventually, Solomon ends up at the Epps plantation, where the owner is well known for cruelty. In the beginning Solomon harbors thoughts of returning to his “real” life… he’s not a slave and isn’t supposed to be there. If it weren’t for the fact of his kidnapping, he probably would have gone through life giving little thought about the others… who never should have been slaves either. There were many participants who kept slavery viable… not just slave owners, but enforcers, bystanders and slaves themselves. With excellent direction and an excellent screenplay, the film deserves credit for going beyond mere exploitation of the violence. “There’s no sin in it. A man does how he pleases with his own property.”
4 popped kernels
A free black man spends 12 years in slavery and later writes a book about his experience
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Language, nudity, violence, sexual content)
Audience: Grown-ups
Distribution: Mainstream wide release
Mood: Sober
Tempo: Cruises comfortably
Visual Style: High-end production
Primary Driver: Plot, Character and Information
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Informative & Thought provoking
