MovieNotes: 12 Years A Slave

Title: 12 Years A Slave (imdb)

*ing: Chiewetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyongo, Michael Fassbender, Bendict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt

Language: English 

Director: Steve McQueen

Genre: Historical, Biography, Civil Rights

Basic Premise

Solomon Northup, a free black man, living in New York is kidnapped and sold as a slave to work in plantations. The movie follows his hardships till he is finally able to secure his release from slavery.

MovieNotes

What Works 

• Brilliant acting by the lead cast and a tight storyline, which focusses only on Solomon’s journey. 
• The depiction of slavery and the horrible treatment meted out to the slaves is disturbing while making for a fascinating watch at the same time. 
• The violence is depicted in a hard-hitting but understated way. You are repulsed by the events on screen while not making it unwatchable.
• Its a tale of hope and undying spirit. Solomon doesn't give up his chance of securing his freedom even after encountering many a failure in his way.

What Doesn’t 

We don’t get to see what Solomon’s family went through in the years he was missing. It seems as if his family and friends had forgotten him totally.

MovieNotes

It is a hard-hitting movie about slavery and almost in-line with Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book I read recently. Slavery was wrong and nothing can justify what atrocities men put on others all for the sake of profit, while invoking God to justify their brutality. It is a most disturbing part of our collective human history. 

Rating – 9/10. For bringing out some of the harsh realities of our “human” history.

Previously on MovieNotes – Spectre