Review of 12 Years a Slave (2013) by Jackson W — 13 Aug 2014

2013 was one of the more Flotsam and Jetsam years of cinema that gave us classics like "Gravity" and real huge disappointments like "Man of Steel" all in the span of about five months. However, come Osar time, the film that reigned supreme earning the coveted Best Picture award was 12 Years a Slave. A film that originally appeared to me as another political tear fest of seeing how black slaves were oppressed and feeling bad about being white (don't get me wrong, I have nothing against black people but sick of the politics behind it all) actually has a deeper meaning here when you see the brutal torment of our main character, Solomon Northup, in particular that pulls the movie through as something to emulate as deserving of it's nomination and later victory in Academy Awards.

The film takes place in what is assumed to be the Antebellum South where Negro salves pick cotton and perform other grueling outdoor tasks for their white masters. Our main character is thrown into the mix while trying to prove he is free and getting no sympathy in return, being whipped and worked to death, told not to escape lest his life be not spared, and even being forced to whip a young Negro girl much to his heartbreak and dismay.

The emotions are crystal clear and the film totally engulfs itself in the experience of slaves at the time. If you are weak at heart, or any other weak constitutions, I suggest you skip this one. This is the uncensored abuse in full bloom, constant whippings, hot sun, grueling work, bitter cruelty, the whole nine yards. You feel the pain watching this movie, and I think that's the heart of this film. Which like I said works to it's advantage, but I do wish they focused more on the narrative. The first hour or so focuses on merely the experience of the slaves. They work, they sing (very nice singing), they have families, they feel weary and hopeless yet committed. And while that's intriguing, I got more invested in every scene that showed Solomon's struggle. He wasn't supposed to be one of "them", an aspect to this brutal story that would have made this film stellar to me if it was brought out more. He gets his redemption at the end, he has conversations about it, but everything else is drawn out around him that it's fighting for room. Another nitpick I have is the titles on screen that tell of the setting of the movie and what became of Mr. Northup after he was finally freed. The font was incredibly small, and illegible without a magnifying glass. Maybe it's just me, but that was really distracting. Fundamentally, this is a good movie, even if it's not your favorite movie of the past year. It's emotionally resonant and tones down it's agenda enough to grab a broader scope than perhaps originally intended.