Director: Steve McQueen
Writers: John Ridley (screenplay) and Solomon Northup (book, “Twelve Years a Slave”)
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o
My thoughts on 12 Years A Slave are a little clouded. It reads like a piece of art more than a film which is not necessarily a bad thing, just different. Good different.
In a nutshell:
It’s the story of Solomon Northup, a free black man living in upstate New York who gets tricked, kidnapped and sold for slave labour in the South (I believe Louisiana) for 12 years, leaving behind his wife, children, home, identity and freedom.
My thoughts:
I’ve been going back and forth, saving this draft for over two weeks now because I can’t quite put my finger on what I want to say about this movie. I think I’ll just stick with my initial reaction of it being a work of art.
Steve McQueen is a beautiful director, in every sense. He’s honest with his camera work and those moments where he just lingers on one shot really just dig into you and nestle themselves inside you. They actually say and evoke so much more than the dialogue. It’s weird to call a film about slavery beautiful but I don’t know how else to describe it. Maybe hauntingly beautiful if I’m being cliche.
The cinematography is stunning and so is the language. It was so rhythmic and elegant, that for awhile it sounded like pure poetry.
I can see why the film is getting such great reviews and attention. All the performances were honest. Chiwetel Ejiofor wears bravery well and he’s the reason you have hope through the movie with lines like “I don’t want to survive. I want to live”. On the other end, Michael Fassbender succeeds in being as revolting as humanly possible. The film and the actors really aim to leave you speechless and thought provoked.
I also thought that omitting the dates to indicate how much time had passed was very smart. It added to the overall feeling of hopelessness and eternal torture.
Now for the not so great stuff. It’s not the most moving film I’ve ever seen about horrid historical events. (Yes I know, please don’t hate me. I chalk it up to years of desensitization.) At times, it felt emotionally distant and that is probably why I’m not connecting 100%. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very powerful scenes, especially from Lupita Nyong’o, but it didn’t hold through the entire film for me. But I can say that I do feel the passion that McQueen put into the film. It is oozing with his essence and conviction and is an important film.
What bugged me a bit too was the score and I was surprised that Hans Zimmer was behind it. Personally, I found that sometimes it was a bit unnerving but I guess it helped keep the somber tone throughout the film. To me, it was just a little choppy and distracting at times.
Despite that, it is still a must-see and it looks like it will probably be the Oscar winner for Best Picture this year.
What did you think about 12 Years a Slave?
Have you read the book? (Yes, there’s a book)
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colour me ♠ movie 
I haven’t seen this movie but it seems to be filled with drama.
It’s intense at times, yes.
I’ll be watching this later today or tomorrow.
Oh la la..so how was it?
I really…well I guess “enjoyed” would be the wrong word. It’s great. I think I most appreciated how understated a lot of the abuse and dehumanisation was. No musical cues or close-up shots to tell the audience when to feel sad, horrified, angry etc. Just messed up stuff happening in an almost by-the-way manner, as it would have back then. That, I think, is why you felt that emotional disconnect. It was similar for me, and you know what? That’s probably for the best.
The performances were all great, particularly Nyongo and Fassbender. Even poor Omar.
The scene that will stick with me, however, is the one where the slaves encounter the Native Americans in the woods, and what happened afterwards. I laughed, but I know it’s meant to be a layered piece of imagery.
I’ve reflected on the movie quite a bit since I saw it and I think you summed it up pretty well. It’s the “real-time”, raw drama that just jarred me and made me feel emotionally disconnected. We’ve gotten to accustomed to movies holding our hands through emotional rises and pitfalls that this just caught me off guard. But it is for the best. You’re forced to feel uncomfortable and that’s what makes the movie work.
Fassbender was actually the most moving to me. A flat character yes, but a tremendously effective one.
I saw this movie friday… and i found it was good despite what some ppl were saying…yes the movie was a bit slow paced but i enjoyed it..
I watched it again and I still feel about the same. It’s good, I enjoyed it but I didn’t feel emotional about it. It’s beautifully directed though. That I stand behind 100%.
Movies like these always make me cringe and I have to work up the courage to watch it because it usually leaves me emotional and angry. That being said I adore the depth of the characterization portrayed. Kudos to the team and great review!
Thanks for reading! 🙂
It really is a massive film to take on emotionally but it’s subject matter that should never stop being put on film.