Paul Lister’s review published on Letterboxd:
Uncompromising, brutal, unflinching, yet incredibly human, 12 Years A Slave deserves the praise that has been heaped upon it. It is not a film I would ever watch to be entertained, it's not a great night out at the movies ether but it is the work of a serious artist with something to say and the talent to make us sit down and take note.
After all, I wonder, has slavery not been covered on film enough? How original is this story? My answer to the second question is simple, this is Solomon Northup's story. No matter how many times the topic of slavery is brought up in film nothing can change that this story is his and his alone, it is unique and has a great value despite the subject being covered before. It is important - and I use the word lightly, that these films are made, to remind us of the horrifying history and to remind us of the journey of a free man through 12 years of slavery. After all the novel was written in 1853, it is valuable to make this film just to make people aware of the book alone.
Anyone who sits through this film and enjoys it needs to look at themselves hard in the mirror, enjoyment is the wrong emotion to feel; enraged maybe, exhausted maybe another! It certainly drains you to watch this film, maybe the way in which Sean Bobbit's cinematography so perfectly captures the heat in which the slaves do there cotton picking is exhausting in itself but also because Steve McQueen knows when to make you uncomfortable. Like Michael Hanake he is not afraid to force you to watch something you know is abhorrant and difficult, he will linger on a shot for minutes to make you squirm in your seat, to make you the point as bluntly as possible, 'This is wrong and you know it but it is real, it happened and we must not turn a blind eye to the wrongs of our past so that our future's can pay dividends' is basically my long winded conclusion as to why McQueen does this. So of course it is highly uncomfortable but remember you are in the comfy seat, not hanging by your tip toes.
It goes without saying that the film is incredibly well acted, it's almost too real in a sense but the moment Solomon is freed is such an astoundingly emotional moment that for all the pain you go through it is worth it for this moment. I do however feel that the Brad Pitt casting is a little jarring, but he did produce the film, to his immense credit and probably deserved to have an important say in it all, I would have preferred it if he got a hair cut though.
The other noteworthy aspect is Hans Zimmer. Now I love his work and I admit I love his work here but for years he has created music that is so identifying his that I am starting to hear all his work bleed into one. For example, Wimbledon this year, every dramatic slow-mo shot was accompanied by a piece of music from Inception, the same thing happened last year, except I though the music was from The Dark Knight Rises last year and from 12 Years A Slave this year. Turns out both years it was Inception, but hey never mind, he's still great at what he does.
12 Years A Slave all told is a piece of work that demands to be seen. Frankly deserves to be seen, it is an incredibly tough film to watch at times and that is necessary, so entertainment is not really the word I'd use. It is however, a gripping account of Solomon Northup's journey, one you will struggle to forget.
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