“12 Years a Slave,” based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, tells the story of a free black man, Northup, who was unjustly kidnapped and enslaved for 12 years in 1841. In 1853 his memoir was published, allowing the world to witness the tragedy of his brutal captivity.
“12 Years a Slave,” based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, tells the story of a free black man, Northup, who was unjustly kidnapped and enslaved for 12 years in 1841. In 1853 his memoir was published, allowing the world to witness the tragedy of his brutal captivity.
Now, more than150 years later, his gut-wrenching ordeal is once again on view in director Steve McQueen’s Oscar winning film which received nine Oscar nominations. While McQueen didn’t win as best director, his film “12 Years a Slave” garnered Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Lupita Nyong’o and Best Adapted Screenplay, John Ridley.
As the film begins we meet Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor, nominated in Best Actor category) at home with his wife and two children. Both are well-educated and Solomon is also an accomplished violinist. While his wife is away on business with their son and young daughter, he accepts the chance to play the fiddle for a carnival show to earn extra money.
At the end of the two-week engagement he is drugged and sold into slavery.
An intelligent man who can read, write and play music, he is certain that he will soon be rescued, but his terrible captivity lasts for 12 long years.
During the course of his servitude he works for several plantation owners. Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), his first owner, is a kind man but his overseer is overbearing and hates the fact that a black man is more intelligent than he.
This leads to grave complications. Reluctantly, Ford sells Northup to the heartless Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender.) Throughout his long years as a slave Northup remains confident that he will one day regain his freedom and be united with his family.
Lupita Nyong’o gives a luminous portrayal as Patsey, a young slave who is a whiz at picking cotton. Epps constantly praises her, pointing out to all the men that she is a far better worker than any of them. Such skill, however, doesn’t keep her from being sexually used by Epps. This enrages his wife. Your heart will break at the plight of this young girl who does her best, but constantly runs into trouble due to jealousy on the part of her owners who mistreat her sexually and physically.
Throughout, Northup tries to be a source of strength and reason for the other slaves, including Patsey, while never giving up hope that he will once again be a free man.
McQueen, a black British director, is able to capture the horrors of slave life with scenes of a mother pleading not to be sold without her children, lynchings and brutal beatings. He also manages to show that some slave owners like Ford were capable of compassion and fairness.
Another example of decency was a judge who has Northup play the fiddle for one of his parties, rewarding him with money for his services before sending him back to his owner.
The look of the film is serene and beautiful. The plantations are elegant, the skies are bright blue with billowing white clouds overhead as the camera pans to slow moving streams where tall trees laden with Spanish moss line the water’s edge. The physical beauty of the southern landscapes provide a sharp contrast to the ugliness of slave ownership. The background music is by the gifted composer Hans Zimmer.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as Solomon, a man determined to live and be free once again. His expressive face and large eyes speak volumes. Others in the stellar cast include Brad Pitt and Paul Giamatti.
“12 Years a Slave,” now available on DVD, is from Fox Searchlight and is rated R.
