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12 Years a Slave (2013)

Drama | 134 minutes
3,76 2.737 votes

Genre: Drama / Biography

Duration: 134 minuten

Alternative title: Twelve Years a Slave

Country: United States / United Kingdom

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o

IMDb score: 8,1 (758.397)

Releasedate: 18 October 2013

12 Years a Slave plot

"The extraordinary true story of Solomon Northup"

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty, particularly from sadistic slave driver Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

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avatar van RuudC

RuudC

  • 4636 messages
  • 2529 votes

Now I've been following Hollywood a little less in recent years, especially when it comes to the acadamy awards. I find horror and sci-fi much more interesting genres. Of course I have learned that the organization of the Oscars has received quite a bit of criticism from the black community. Understandable, but somehow a bit strange. 12 Years A Slave is a good film, but in my opinion a political Oscar winner.

Nothing bad about the movie. 12 Years A Slave is an intriguing story and in itself deserves credit for highlighting this black page of American history. There are some obligatory songs, such as corporal punishment, rape and tearing apart families. McQueen portrays it very strongly. Everything is actually right: the sets, the music, the acting (Fassbender, wow). Time flies. It is therefore a fierce story in which it is very easy to empathize with the main character (and the other slaves). The ease with which some people are killed is shocking to see.

Yet I just miss that one, inexplicable part that should make the film rise to greater heights. It just doesn't quite grab me by the throat. It is therefore that particle that should make the difference between winning an Oscar or not. Nevertheless, 12 Years A Slave is highly recommended. A film that is right on time with regard to the current situation in which human rights are getting worse.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van IH88

IH88

  • 9362 messages
  • 3147 votes

12 Years a Slave

Fantastic film that shows slavery in an impressive and ruthless way. Director Steve McQueen takes his time telling the story of Solomon Northup and lets the images and actors do the work. McQueen shows the atrocities explicitly and especially Ejiofor and the peerless Nyong'o have a hard time.

But McQueen never forgets the story and knows how to make Solomon's horrific journey compelling. An ordinary man who is enslaved and will not see his family for twelve years. Sometimes a story is so impressive that you don't have to resort to emergency measures to keep it interesting. With great acting performances from Ejiofor, Nyong'o, Fassbender, Paulson, Cumberbatch etc. Actually all the actor deserve praise. An important story that needs to be told.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van Black Math

Black Math

  • 5417 messages
  • 1741 votes

With all the Black Lives Matter protests, this is of course a very appropriate time to see this film. At the moment I also live in an appropriate location, namely in the South of the US, where this film largely takes place.

The film is based on the book of the same name by Solomon Northup and after reading about his life on the internet, it is clear that this film follows his book quite closely. The result is a film that is impressive and horrifying of events, where black people are abused and mistreated in every way, and where every black person stood alone to survive. This culminates in the film's climax in which the main character hangs hanging from a tree, but can just barely put his toes on the ground, while life goes on around him.

The problem I often have with these kinds of films, including I scale with holocaust films, is that it is indeed all impressive in terms of events, but that doesn't automatically make a good film. Here much is observed, but little is created, perhaps apart from the mentioned scene. Nevertheless, the tone of the film is good, it is of course heavily dramatic, but certainly not overdramatic, which would have had the opposite effect, giving me 3*.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original