12 Years a Slave - Film Review

From the opening moments of the film you are drawn into the tragic story of Solomon Northup. Told in a somewhat non-linear fashion showing Northup's life as a free man contrasted with the horrors of his slavery. From a happy life as a family man to the terrible time under the reign of the evil, drunk Edwin Epps Solomon's story engages the audience.

Steve McQueen has masterfully crafted a film that is beautiful and brutal. He forces the audience to be present in the film, at no point does he give us a moment to separate from the movie. In a style that was used in his two previous films Shame and Hunger McQueen hangs on moments far longer than we are used to, unsettling you as the images on the screen are not that of scenery or happy moments. With 12 Years a Slave McQueen has cemented himself a spot with mainstream audiences.

The gripping story is bolstered by an amazing cast. The lead performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor is amazing. He captures the heartbreak, the rage and the trauma without ever being melodramatic. With a few looks and the physicality of curling into himself Ejiofor impresses. He conveys much of the story of his inner struggle with his eyes. The awards buzz surrounding him his quite warranted. Lupita Nyong’o as Patsy suffers much under the hands of Epps and his wife; she plays the enslaved woman with such care and honesty that it is effective in bringing the brutality to life.

My love of Michael Fassbender is nothing new, but in this he has the ability to make you hate him. As with all of his previous films he brings an intensity to the role. He is cruel to the point of being sadistic. Fassbender with the barest shift of his face plays the conflicted nature of desiring someone he doesn't want to desire, while being mocked by his wife and his own conscience for this want; yet at no point do you feel sympathy for him.

The technical aspects of the film are excellent. In terms of visuals McQueen knows how to stage a shot and the cinematography creates a visual experience. From the low hanging moss and leaves on the trees to the contrasting white of the cotton on blue horizon the visual story is as important as the acting. The sounds of the cracking whips or the buzzing of insects, the call and responses of the slaves to the mocking songs and the preaching of the slave owners adds to this visual and makes an impact in a stronger way than the instrumental soundtrack.

The film doesn't shy away from brutality and with the subject matter it shouldn't have to. It is honest and compelling. It is most likely the best slavery movie that I have ever seen

5/5