Christina Reynolds’s review published on Letterboxd:
12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical period-drama film and an adaptation of the 1853 slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., by two conmen in 1841 and sold into slavery. Northup was put to work on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before being released.
Undoubtedly - one cannot start this review without singing praises in regards to the set design and choices made by the costume department; the location (And even in fields near the location Northup was kept as a slave in real life) in which shooting occurred alone does much to immerse audience members into a situation that is not considered common place in our modern - era.
The Real Genius however, were the techniques implemented to enhance the visceral experience while watching this film. There are often moments where sounds related to being enslaved (Such as, singing, wailing, and the like) begin as the focal point of a scene and slowly become what is heard in the background of another scene as it begins. In addition to this, scenes meant to encapsulate the brutality of slavery (Like one in which Solomon is hung from a tree and barely survives) are defined by a poignant silence that only becomes more uncomfortable the longer a scene is almost forcibly continued. The soul beckons at the nature of which these elements are combined - When will it stop! When will it stop?! - and gives the audience a tiny morsel of the thoughts that must have been plaguing the minds of the figures being portrayed in real life.
‘12 Years A Slave’ boasts an ensemble cast at its hip and delivers performances that carry significant weight regardless of their length. The emotions that are conveyed - ranging from reckless ambivalence to profound idealism - are seamlessly included and offer an additional layer of authenticity to the characters and the totality of their separate situations. There is a glimmer of optimism and hope that is carefully applied without inching into the realm of overzealous naivety. Nyong'o - whom won best supporting actress for this film - flawlessly embodies the ferocity of her character and draws empathy in doses that are both expected and unconventional.
Being a well researched film, it has been confirmed that much of the content contained in this one is accurate and there is some amount of documentation (including Northrup’s memoir) substantiating the chronicled events; none of the characters are created for the sake of forcing the film to its conclusion and even the personality of real life figures is distinguishably maintained.
Regardless, I have seen some complaints; specifically, I have seen some complaints that ‘12 Years A Slave’ doesn’t explain the ~nature~ in which this system built on the backbone of racist value was able to grow and thrive. I humbly suggest that these criticism be lightly tossed aside, for a variety of reasons
!) This film is meant to be account of a very traumatic period of time for a person of color that was treated unjustly; why the [beep] would a movie like this one need to go in to ~deep~ detail about the intricacies of the system that was complicit in his maltreatment? To validate his situation???
2) It’s very clear even in this film that the caucasian characters that show the slightest bit of humanity are ultimately self-serving; none of the characters that would be considered charismatic given the overall context stick their necks out or even simply refuse to participate in the buying or selling of slaves at the end of the day. There is one - ONE. ONE. ONE. - white character that agrees to do Soloman a favor towards the end, but even that is met with some initial pushback due to some amount of fear or anxiety being present.
3) [This is where I reiterate point number 1]:
THIS FILM IS MEANT TO BE ACCOUNT OF A VERY TRAUMATIC PERIOD OF TIME FOR A PERSON OF COLOR THAT WAS TREATED UNJUSTLY; WHY THE [BEEP] WOULD A MOVIE LIKE THIS ONE NEED TO GO IN TO ~DEEP~ DETAIL ABOUT THE INTRICACIES OF THE SYSTEM THAT WAS COMPLICIT IN HIS MALTREATMENT? TO VALIDATE HIS SITUATION?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Films like this one are uncomfortable and distressing.
BUt they are too important.
They are just too [bleeping] important.
I would recommend!
