****
Based on the novel by the same
name, ’12 Years A Slave’ is the story of Solomon Northup who lived as free
black man in New York. After being deceived and sold into slavery, he battles
despair and intense cruelty, all the time trying to prove his right to freedom.
This film is incredibly difficult
to watch in places, and is mostly so utterly joyless that it I cannot say that I
really enjoyed the experience no matter how moving I found it. The camera is
watches unflinchingly as Solomon is beaten in a cellar, and then again as he is
left hanging from a tree with just his toes brushing the ground to stop him
from straggling completely. There is also an extremely long and painful shot of
a young woman being lashed until the skin is ripped from her back, which left
several people in the screening I was in covering their faces and fidgeting.
Throughout the entire film I was dreading what would happen next, constantly
fearing for the welfare of Northup and his fellow slaves – it is certainly
impossible to relax! The language used to address the slaves is blunt and is
very hard to listen to without wincing, but the realism of the speech certainly
adds to the overall brutal nature of the film. Around each corner there is
betrayal and cruelty and the study of man’s cruelty against other men is
certainly a bleak one.
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Northup (known
for the majority of the film by his slave-name ‘Platt’), and he excels in the
role. We follow him from the happiness of his home life, through the disbelief
of his abduction, and then into his long years of unhappiness, and Ejiofor
captures each emotion perfectly. The camera rests upon his face for long
periods of time, and without uttering a word we can read how he is feeling. He
is supported by a star-studded ensemble cast, not in the least Paul Dano as the
incredibly odious Tibeats. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Northup’s first owner,
Master Ford, well (his accent is spot on), especially at the moment of his
inevitable refusal to help. Michael Fassbender plays Epps, the owner which Northup
spends the most time with, and his very appearance on screen strikes fear into
the heart of the viewer – his is cruel, clearly mentally ill, and has a great
deal of power. He is supported by a similarly unkind wife (Sarah Paulson), who
is mad with jealousy over his affections for young slave girl Patsey
(outstanding newcomer Lupita Nyong’o), who is the victim of several counts of
cruelty.
It is certainly an exhausting
watch and I left feeling incredibly angry and depressed at the wickedness man
is capable of inflicting on his fellow man. It is, however, an excellent film –
it is beautifully shot, excellently acted and Hans Zimmer provides a haunting
soundtrack to stir the soul. The story doesn’t shy away from the fact that
slaves didn’t always stick up for each other, as well as pointing out that even
a kinder slave owner is still a slave owner and will not help you. Go and see
the film, but be ready to look away and be prepared to be drained upon leaving.
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