Review of 12 Years a Slave (2013) by Esa K — 24 Feb 2015

Originally a memoir of a free man, Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped and forced into twelve years of slavery, this film presents a historically accurate depiction of the life of a slave, pitting the law of man against universal truths.

Prior to watching this film, I was warned numerous times that the subject matter would be very, very heavy. Being an individual whose seen many, many films and coming from a background filled with oppression and torture, I felt I was up for it. For about a year, every time I went to watch this film, people would tell me I needed time to think the film over when it was finished. A year went by before I finally saw it.

I'll admit, I was rather impatient at first - I kept expecting to be overwhelmed from the start and I was becoming restless that my heartstrings weren't being pulled yet; but the movie helped relax that feeling. Delaying cuts where you'd expect them to be, it made the film feel so much more real - and that's a good thing because it actually happened. Masterful editing.

As the film goes on, the emotional tension rises as McQueen and the actors bring their A-game to provide a harrowing depiction of the life of Northup.

This film was pretty much flawless. The cinematography, the music, the sound design, the art direction... everything. I cannot praise this film enough. I need to give a big thank you to Chiwetel Ejiofor for his portrayal of Northup - it was freaking phenomenal. I haven't seen Dallas Buyers Club, but Matthew McConaughey's performance would have had to have been better than 99.9% of acting performances I've ever seen for him to have deserved it over Ejiofor, and I like McConaughey.

When the movie was over it sent me into deep thought for a couple hours. I took a walk, wrote down my thoughts, and sat in silence.

10/10.