12 Years a Slave Movie Review

I just recently watched 12 Years a Slave and wow what a powerful film it was. Directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup our tragedy-plagued protagonist. The movie takes place in pre-Civil War America where Solomon Northup, a free black man in Upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery.  

Leaving his wife and two children behind, Solomon is sent south where his 12 years of hell commence. With some tips from a slave named Clemens played by Chris Chalk early on in the film, Solomon learns to keep his mouth shut and do what he's told.  Despite this he was still a free man at heart and this unwillingness to completely submit lead to some pretty brutal beatings and lashings. 

Those scenes were the hardest to watch especially when shown the aftermath of the cut up, raw backs of the slaves after these lashings.  The film does a great job in portraying the pure cruelty of this institution, the complete disregard for the well-being of these slave.  Throughout the course of the movie we come across 3 main land/slave owners played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Bryan Batt and Michael Fassbender. The former and the latter both had wonderful performances.  Cumberbatch played a merciful slave owner but despite this still a weak man part of this evil institution while Fassbender played a ruthless drunk who exemplified everything that was wrong with slavery and the mindset necessary that made it a reality.  Fassbender is an extremely talented actor and he embodied this evil character to the fullest extent!

Towards the end of the film a Canadian named Bass has a small part but plays a huge role in Solomon's liberation.  Solomon convinces Bass to get a letter to his friends and family back home.  Soon after men arrive at the plantation where Solomon is slaving away with proof of his identity and his freedom. Fassbender is furious and swears that he'll get him back.  I had to hold myself from yelling out in happiness in the theater.  Nothing like seeing someone get what they deserve.

But the film does finish strongly with a very emotional scene of Solomon's return back to his home after a long 12 years.  He enters his house to see his wife clearly aged, his son a grown man, and his daughter a young woman with a newly born baby and a husband by her side.  I don't care how tough you are, that last scene tugs at your heart strings pretty damn hard.  Just knowing all that this man went through and that it was finally over really hit home with me.  It's really hard for me to find something bad about this movie. 

Sure this wasn't the first movie made about slavery and I can bet it won't be the last but it's such a powerful story about survival, tragedy, and love that you can relate to on one level or another. The acting was phenomenal, the cinematography was great, and there are scenes so strong that you wanted to look away but just couldn't.  This was one of my favorite movies of the year and I give it a 10 out of 10, which I don't do lightly.  Truly a movie everyone should experience.