Nothing can prepare you for the depravity you are going to witness over the course of watching the film 12 Years a Slave. It’s a raw depiction of what happened to one man, Solomon Northup, who being a free black man was kidnapped, and sold into slavery. The actor who portrays him, Chiwetel Ejiofor, delivers one of the most, if not the most authentic, and believable performances you may ever witness. You see it in his eyes, his every expression, the way he moves, and in the way his composure changes over the course of the movie, as he realizes his fate is seemingly insurmountable.
One of the things that really strikes you while sitting in the audience, is that the slaves had no recourse when they were wronged. There masters had complete freedom, to do with them as they pleased. Whats astounding, is just how much it pleases them to inflict pain, humiliation, and fear into their slaves, be they man, woman, or child. These masters had nothing to fear, no consequences, not even the wrath of a God, because they believed they had God on their side, and they had the bible to prove it.
Another equally mesmerizing performance is portrayed by Michael Fassbender, who plays the part of Edwin Epps, a ruthless, cruel, and quite frankly mad slave owner. Edwin Epps really personifies all of the vile, and depravity you would associate with slave owners. He has grown mad with his belief that another human being can be, and is his property. He puts his madness on display, with of all things dancing.
Director Steve McQueen’s hand is evident through out, from the props that make up the sets, to the characters manner of dress, every physical detail has been carefully crafted to match what you would have seen if you were alive at that time. He matches this attention to the physical details, with his attention to the emotional details of the characters he is bringing to life. The performances he brings out, are so believable, you’ll feel at times like you are inside the movie, bearing witness to these horrid crimes.
I had actually some forewarning, from the usher who seated us, that this would be an intense movie going experience. I kind of brushed aside his warning, and settled in to watch, eating my popcorn, and drinking my soda as the movie began. With a feeling of contentment that I could surely handle anything I was about to see. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Because you shouldn’t be “able” to handle what you are seeing, it should move you, and disgust you, and even enrage you. These women, men, and children had the life stomped out of them, both figuratively, and sometimes literally. The evil from that time, will really reach through the screen, and seemingly knock the wind out of you, as it did with me.
I don’t think you can every really say you understand this part of our history, but at least you can say after watching this movie, that you understand this history is worth learning more about. Solomon Northup’s story is extraordinary, and it’s a story that you need to know. But I think it’s equally important to remember that for hundreds of thousands of slaves, who lived during this time, their story will never be known.
I sincerely hope this review motivates you to see 12 Years a Slave, it’s really a movie that everybody should see, but probably not one they will want to see again.
