Dir: Steve McQueen
Release: 10 January 2014
Rating: 15
I always prefer watching films that are based on a true story. I think it makes me relate more to the characters involved,knowing someone actually went through the heartbreak, hardships and joy that is depicted on the screen.
12 Years a Slave, originally a 19th century memoir, tells the harrowing story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) a talented musician and free man before he is tricked and kidnapped from his hometown of Saratoga, New York and sold to the slave markets of Louisiana.
He is given the new identity of Platt and is bought by William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) who, although involved in the buying and selling of slaves, shows a lot of gratitude and sympathy towards him. However, Platt gets himself into a lot of trouble when he strikes another one of his masters, John Tibeats (Paul Dano), and Ford is forced to sell him off in fear that Tibeat will end his life.
He is transferred to the cotton farm of Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), who prides himself on being a ‘slave breaker’. Fassbender excellently portrays the psychotic drunk who treats his slaves like his own property rather than human beings. Many scenes show Epps forcing the slaves to strip naked so he can beat them with whips for not meeting their cotton picking quota. He also becomes fixated with a young slave, Patsy (Lupita Nyong’o), who he rapes, beats and lusts after. In one scene, Epps thinks Patsy has run away from the plantation and when she returns he orders Platt to whip her within an inch of her life. It was extremely difficult scene to watch.
One of the most visually intense scenes was where Platt had been hanged by Tibeats and is left for hours on end with the noose around his neck and his feet barely touching the mud beneath him. I found myself taking large breaths throughout this scene, almost as a reassurance that I was able to.
This masterpiece by Steve McQueen was nominated for seven Golden Globes and came away with Best Film – Drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor is already the bookies’ favourite to win Best Actor at the Oscars – and I can see why.
[rating=4]
