12 Years A Slave Review

Brutal in its honest and realistic depiction of slavery, 12 Years a Slave is a trying, but ultimately important, film for audiences to see.

Photo by Francois Duhamel - © 2013 - Fox Searchlight Pictures

Entertaining is perhaps not the right word to describe the biographical story of Solomon Northup, a farmer and violinist who was kidnapped by slave-traders to be bought and sold to plantation owners. His tale is unquestionably awe inspiring and moving, here vividly brought to life on film by Steve McQueen. Its historical accuracy so authentically portrayed that Henry Louis Gates, the leading scholar on black history in America and its culture, has called it “the best film about slavery ever made from the point of view of a slave”.

Until now, slavery as a thematic subject matter hasn’t received a proper portrayal onscreen. A handful of movies and television shows have tried to tackle America’s original sin either one-sidedly or with a degree of censorship, perhaps most notably in Roots and more recently Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. In 12 Years a Slave, McQueen, along with a terrific cast, has richly designed Northup’s true story with complex characterisations that viewers can identify with. Most extraordinary to witness is Chiwetel Ejiofor in the role of Northup, whose spirit and ability to hold on to faith in humanity, untainted by bitterness or regret, is a testament to his strength of spirit.

Once a free man, Solomon was deceived and sold into the slave trade in 1841 for 12 years during which all communication with his family and commemoration of his previous life was suppressed. The early scenes unfold in an almost hazy reminiscent glow whereby he recounts his former self as thriving man living with his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. After being enticed with a job offer as a violinist, he is drugged by two men who claim to be entertainers of a circus and wakes up in a brick cell in shackles. Along with a crew of other captured blacks he is dispatched by boat to the South, where he’s unloaded to a string of bad masters. First comes William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), a well meaning albeit hypocritical plantation owner who fails to guard Solomon from the wrath of one of his loathsome overseers (a villainous Paul Dano). In order to pay an outstanding debt, Ford sells Northup to Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), a cruel cotton farmer whose harsh treatment of his slaves is renowned.

While Solomon upholds an honorable moral standing, Epps is a black hole of malevolence. Epps believes his right to abuse blacks is biblically sanctioned and encourages his slaves to accept their appointed fate by frequently preaching pro-slavery Bible verses.  He is prone to alcoholism and psychotic fits of rage, habitually whipping those who fail to pick their daily fair share of cotton. Fassbender exposes a deeply human element behind the archetypal evil slave trader whose sexual obsession with beautiful young slave Patsey (the stunning Lupita Nyong’o in her professional film debut) informs his disrespect and self-hatred. He is a boil on the skin of the society of the time, an amalgamation of our darkest regrets.

McQueen chooses to shoot in long, arduous takes that highlight the pain and suffering inflicted upon these characters, inviting the audience to observe the horrors of slavery and contemplate them within a broader context. The camera remains patient and lingers upon turmoiled faces as exampled in the scene where Patsey’s back is scaled with vicious whiplashes. In another long shot Solomon hangs from an oak tree, his feet teetering in the mud while others go about their working day behind him, seemingly unfased. Epps cruel mistreatment of his slaves juxtaposed against the beautiful Louisiana backdrop magnifies the ungodly injustice. The pain and suffering displayed is not only distressing but remarkably loyal to Northup’s narrative according to his 1853 memoir as told to and edited by David Wilson.

McQueen’s miserablist obsession with the ugliest of human stories has resulted in the most powerful and harrowing examples of human suffering and moral degradation ever depicted on film. The British artist-turned-director reprises his working relationship with Michael Fassbender for the third consecutive time following turns in two previous features Hunger and Shame (the latter of which was snubbed by academy voters due to trepidation towards the subject of sex addition). The pair’s artistic marriage is looking to reach Johnny Depp-Tim Burton heights. Suffice it to say, the hype, publicity and awards consideration surrounding 12 Years a Slave has been a long time in the coming for McQueen and Fassbender.

Any initial doubts concerning the sincerity and goodwill of this adaptation are vanquished by the time you get to its heartbreaking conclusion. It’s an overwhelming moment that makes you grieve for all those men, women and children whose souls were crushed by the evils of slavery. To sugarcoat it would be a disservice to Northup’s true account. Made with the intention of reaching a universal audience, the film’s message lies outside the parameters of race to address grander questions about human dignity. Indeed, 12 Years a Slave is a masterful piece of cinematic storytelling at its most potent.