"A man chooses, a slave obeys"
Six words, yet they define so much of history. Back in the revolutionary war, we could have stayed the figurative slave of England, but we chose to be free, just as in the time period that this film is based on, Solomon obeys, and later on, he chooses. He chooses to no longer stand victim to the claims that he is less of a human than any other white man.
"A man chooses, a slave obeys"
I could go on for a very long time on why slavery was such an irrefutable evil, but that's not what I am here to write about. I'm here to write about the masterpiece of a film that is 12 Years a Slave. Those of you who watched the Oscars this year, or even heard about them, knew that this picture won the Best Picture award, and rightfully so. Lupita Nyongo was nominated for her role in this film as Patsy, and won, deservedly so. Michael Fassbender was nominated for his supporting actor role, and lost to Jared Leto. Chiwetel Ejiofor was nominated for best actor, but lost to the powerhouse that is Matthew McConaughey. It was even scored by the brilliant Hans Zimmer, who's pieces have graced the screens many times. He was also nominated, but did not win. All this hype adds up, and did it disappoint? No, I assure you, it did not.The film follows closely the true life story of Solomon Northup, once being a free black man, then kidnapped and sold in to slavery. The change of events is quite abrupt, and can be a little confusing at times because, early on, he flashes back to the life he once had. Though this abruptness it met with gruesome violence, almost immediately after you realize what has really happened. This movie is violent, dark, and malicious, in the same vein as Schindler's List, and The Passion of the Christ. Though to some it may seem overdone, I assure you, it was in no interest of being violent just to be violent; it accurately portrays what these people suffered through.
Each actor, whether big or small, plays a very large part in the overall scheme of the film, and each outspoken character is displayed with passion. Much of the film, Michael Fassbender held me the entire time. The corrupt, evil, quick-tempered man with no need for a filter or a stayed hand let loose every time he was on screen. He terrified me. And that's not something I can say about most actors in this vein. The last person I believe I can say truly terrified me with their performance was Heath Ledgers Joker, and since his appearance on screen, no other Joker has been able to meet the exceptional standard he set for them. Epps (Michael Fassbender) was brilliantly portrayed in his crooked smiles and whipping hand, and is one of the best acting performances I've seen to date.Now, with this much praise, I do have a few flaws that need to be pointed out. There are a few moments in the film that the cinematography goes in a completely different direction than what is shown most of the film. One that stands out to me is towards the end. Solomon looks out in to the distance, and just kind of sits there, for a good five minutes. It pulled me out of the experience for a moment, but I didn't want to be pulled from it. There are quite a few other moments like this as well. Also, this film is portrayed in media ray, meaning that it starts somewhere that isn't the beginning, throws you back to the beginning, and then halfway, meets up with where it began. In 12YAS, it doesn't work that well, and left me feeling rather confused. They are minor complaints, but still those worth pointing out.
12 Years a Slave is a masterpiece, and if you have the stomach to experience it fully, it's a must see.
Score: 9.5
+ Awe-Inspiring Performances + Historically Accurate
+ Thought-provoking
+Disturbingly realistic
+Michael Fassbender
- Some cinematography issues
- Media ray proves to be confusing here
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