12 Years a Slave, 2013.
Directed by Steve McQueen.
Starring Chiwetel Eijofor, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti and Paul Dano.
SYNOPSIS:
In 1841, violinist Solomon Northup is captured and sold into slavery, desperate to reclaim his past freedoms and return to his family.
What more is there to say about Steve McQueen’s harrowing slavery epic? It was one of the most talked about films last year, won best picture at the Academy Awards alongside several other notable awards and is widely regarded one of the best films of all time.
The concept behind 12 Years a Slave isn’t particularly ground-breaking, it’s Steve McQueen’s attention to detail, the fine directorial eye which creates such an emotive experience with the characters we’re exposed to. Based on the real life memoirs of Solomon Northup, the film is very grounded in reality, it doesn’t fall into hyperbole or exaggeration. Solomon’s suffering feels unmistakably real. While much has been said about the performances in the film, all of which are fantastic, the subtleties of cinematography emphasis each harrowing, emotive moment. In particular, the scene in which Solomon is almost hung, the camera simply lingers and watches him as he struggles to stay on his toes, for what seems like minutes or hours.
In terms of the film’s legacy, in years to come, it’ll be remembered for a number of reasons. Obviously the sheer quality and craftsmanship of the film stands for itself, but from a historical perspective, it is the most soulful, tragic adaptation of any tale of slavery to make it on the big screen. It’s also notable for launching the careers of Chiwetel Eijofor and Lupita Nyong’o, who both were sublime in their roles. While 2013 was a good year for film, no other picture managed to combine such fantastic performances, have such attentive direction combined with a wonderful score and highly compelling topic matter.
12 Years a Slave comes out on Blu-ray and DVD today, a must for any DVD collection.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Sam Thorne
Originally published May 12, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
