12 Years A Slave

12 YEARS A SLAVE

Director : Steve McQueen

Year : 2014

Genre : Historical Drama

Rating : *****

 

Based on the book of the same name, '12 Years A Slave' tells the astonishingly brutal true story of Solomon Northup, an African American who was kidnapped and forced into slavery in 1841. Chronicling the horrific events that made up his harrowing time as a forced labourer, the film does a remarkable job of unflinchingly portraying the evil that was instilled into the hearts of millions of Americans in the the 19th century. Brutal, bloody and bold, '12 Years A Slave' takes a sometimes unbearably graphic look at one of the darkest chapters in the history of The United States Of America and thanks to pitch perfect direction, a heartbreakingly moving score by Hans Zimmer and stunning acting from the entire cast, '12 Years A Slave' is not just a monumental film; it is essential viewing.

Solomon Northup was a respected and free African American; talented in carpentry and a maestro on the fiddle, he was a member of the New York public just like any white man and was treated as such. Living in a lovely home with his wife and children and with a secure job under his belt, Solomon was certainly one of a minority of black people in the United States. However that all changes when he is approached by a pair of men who persuade him to perform at a circus gig. While he sleeps, the men drug him and when Solomon wakes up, he is chained to the floor. 

Before he knows what is happening, he is thrown onto a boat and shipped to New Orleans where he is given the name of ''Platt'' (the name of a runaway slave from Georgia). Upon arriving in New Orleans, he is bought by a wealthy landowner who takes him as one of his workers. Before long, Solomon finds himself in a hotbed of racial segregation, verbal and physical punishment and death and for the next twelve years, he must learn to respect his masters and do anything to try and survive to the next day, even if it means betrayal and deceit. 

Known for his movies 'Shame' and 'Hunger', director Steve McQueen has become one of the most critically lauded black British directors working in cinema today. Renowned for his direct and sometimes abrasive approach to film making, McQueen has earned something of a reputation as a no - nonsense and very frank director who is never afraid to push the boundaries. He certainly does this to great effect in 'Shame' and he does it again for '12 Years A Slave'; a story that clearly means an awful lot to him. Approaching the subject of slavery in the same way that Spielberg approached the subject of the Holocaust in 'Schindler's List', McQueen depicts the most violent and nihilistic behavior in a graphic but never exploitative way and this gives '12 Years A Slave' an edge that many movies about slavery fail to have. Oh, Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' certainly has a lot of blood and violence but apart from a few moments of flinchingly realistic abuse, it lacked any sense of important or historical accuracy. The same can't be said of '12 Years A Slave' which shows the racial violence in a horribly graphic but completely frank and real way. The numerous scenes of beating, whipping and lynching aren't there to shock; they are there to show us that this is what happened on a daily basis to hundreds and hundreds of human beings only 150 years ago and that even now, we still fail to acknowledge the mass genocide that occured in the States at the hands of the government.

Slavery seems to be a popular choice for filmmakers right now. Only last year we had both the aforementioned 'Django Unchained' and 'Lincoln' and both were commercially successful and big award winners. It does seem that Americans are finally coming to terms with the fact that their ancestors caused this wave of destruction and that maybe making these films are a way of retribution, pointing out those who were responsible. A few decades ago, directors wouldn't dare approach the subject of slavery in such a direct manner, but it does seem now that filmmakers are comfortable enough to show America it's dirty sheets and reveal the truth behind the forgery of their country. In many ways '12 Years A Slave' could act as a companion piece to 'Lincoln' which told the story of how Abraham Lincoln successfully amended the constitution so that slavery could be abolished. There are numerous scenes in '12 Years A Slave' of white men saying that the African Americans deserve to be treated the way that they do. It is almost as if it is their God given right as an American to be able to treat black people in any way they please and it is here where the true horror of '12 Years A Slave' lies. It's not the onscreen violence or the story of Solomon Northup, but it is in the fact that the law said that this type of completely diabolical behavior was perfectly legal in the eyes of Congress. It may be the most powerful country in the world, but 200 years ago, such needless and bloodthirsty ideologies were considered to be acceptable across the entire United States Of America; a country that prides itself on humanity and patriotism.

As previously mentioned, every actor does a brilliant job of bringing their characters to the screen in a completely historically accurate way. We see the entire spectrum of the ideologies of the people of America in the relatively small cast and it is the different dynamics of the individual personalities that make '12 Years A Slave' such a tour de force. In the central role of Solomon Northup we have Chiwetel Ejiofor who is probably best known to audiences for his work in '2012' and 'Love Actually'. Giving a stoic but completely grounded performance, Ejiofor manages to convey the raw emotion and fear of his character through his body language, his eyes and the scars on his face and his back. First seen as man who is respected by both the white and black community, Northup is terrifed to be suddenly thrown into a world of abuse and violence; a world which he cannot control and it is through Ejiofor's powerful performance that he doesn't just become an individual character, but a personification of all of the people enslaved across the country. Chiwetel Ejiofor may not be a household name right now but I have a feeling that after the awards season has passed, he will become a well known face around the world.

Michael Fassbender is utterly horrifying as Northup's owner, a man who has no scruples and is more than willing to whip an innocent man purely for not picking enough cotton. Having worked with Steve McQueen before on 'Hunger' and 'Shame', Fassbender clearly knows how to zone in a captivating and convincing portrayal of psychotic, almost uncontrollable anger and this makes his character much more terrifying than any horror monster. This is because we know that people like that existed all over America at this time and seeing someone being so vicious towards African Americans, especially our days of (supposed) political correctness is something of a shock. But once again, it was perfectly legal for him to act like this, so he is only doing what he is entitled to do. To him, he is doing nothing wrong and no amount of blood, screaming and death is going to change his viewpoints. 

As well as towering performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender, '12 Years A Slave' features a number of great performances from some of the best actors around including Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti and Brad Pitt and all help to give the movie a dimension and gravitas without ever seeming like audience pandering. Every actor has their role to play and each one fits beautifully into the narrative of the story of Solomon Northup, without ever losing focus of the plot or the importance of the subject matter.

With many scenes of horrifically graphic violence and racial cruelty, '12 Years A Slave' is a disturbing and deeply chilling film that tells of a time that many would rather forget. Forcing us to see the evil of humanity and the strength of will and power, it is a movie that is desperate to prove a point and it does so very successfully indeed. Chiwetel Ejiofor is perfect in the lead role and Steve McQueen's direction is tough but truthful and these ingredients come together to produce a massively superior and very important work. If you only see one film this year, make sure it's '12 Years A Slave'.