'12 Years A Slave' (15)

****

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.