12 Years a Slave: visceral and riveting
12 Years a Slave’: visceral and riveting
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor,Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong'o,Paul Giamatti,Alfre Woodard, Taran Killam, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson
Director: Steve McQueen III
Slavery is as old as the hills.The Romans, Assyrian,Babylonians,Egyptians, Jews, Arabs, Scandinavians all kept slaves. In the Far East, the Japanese didn't lag
behind. Nor did India with bonded labour. Slavery in America's Deep South was unique in its use of slaves as unfree labour producing cotton and sugar on
plantations for export. Profits apart, slavery catered to the soul sickness of racists like sadistic slave-owners ( Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson ) who quote from the Old Testament to justify ownership and brutal treatment of their slaves.
It is important to note that the OT expressly states that the master struck a slave and injured him, the slave won total freedom; but if a slave died as a result of beating, the master was tried for capital punishment. And the New Testament proclaims that all people are equal in the eyes of God - including slaves.
According to Old Testament law, anyone caught selling another person into slavery was to be executed but the captors and owners of the hero of this wonderful film, Solomon Northup, (Chiwetel Ejiofor) a free black violinist who was abducted from upstate New York, were never tried for their crimes.
In its depiction of injustice, brutality and suffering, this moving Oscar worthy film harks to the Passion of the Christ. McQueen doesn't hold back on shocking viewers with the drudgery,hangings, whippings, torture and rape.
Northrup suffers indignities at the hands at overseers in the employ of Master Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) who isn't all that bad but doesn't have the guts to stand up for his slave. Epp's concubine (Lupita Nyong'o) is driven to despair but Northrup continues to live in hope, though resigned to his lot, until he is befriended by Bass ( Brad Pitt) who believes in the equality and dignity of all men.
“12 Years a Slave” is a true story based on the little known memoirs of Northrup who became a hero of the abolitionist movement. John Ridley's screenplay is visceral and riveting. Director McQueen is a master story teller and the cast and music are pitch note perfect.
