The story of Solomon Northup comes home to blu ray this week.
Some films
are just hard to watch without wanting to turn away due to the sheer soul
crushing nature of the story. 12 Years a Slave is one of those movies. Director
Steve McQueen brings to life the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free back man in
the 1850’s living a peaceful life with his family in the North until he is
kidnapped and sold in to slavery.
From the cinematography, costumes, set design and acting, every aspect
of this film is brilliantly executed. It all feels a little too real, which is a good thing
except for the fact that what is unfolding in front of our eyes is at times
brutal in its historical accuracy of the inhumanity and violence inflicted upon
those sold in to slavery.
Chiwetel
Ejiofor delivers a masterful performance as Solomon, taking us on a journey
through the depths of hell, as he first struggles to come to terms with what has
happened to him and ultimately how to survive it. Michael Fassbender plays
slave owner Edwin Epps in what has to be one of the most difficult roles of his
career. Lupita Nyong’o makes her first major movie role count in a big way as
fellow slave Patsey. Other notable performances are turned in by Paul Giamatti,
Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sarah Paulson.
This is a
movie that (while hard to watch) needs to be seen. All too often the
horrible realities of America's blood stained history are brushed to the side. While slavery was a common practice in much of the world, The United States
was one of the last free nations to abolish it. I think there is real value in
seeing something like this to remind people of what was once considered a
normal and acceptable part of our culture.
12 Years a
Slave just won three Oscars (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress and Best
Adapted Screenplay) and nobody could have argued had it won more. This is
without a doubt one of the best films of 2013 and an extremely powerful
reminder that it is not enough to just survive, you have to live.
-Brian Rohe