Film - Film Review

12 Years a slave movie review


I chose to review 12 years a slave, because I wanted to be able to give my opinion on a film that would be emotionally and intellectually stimulating.

The story of 12 years a slave follows the tribulations of an educated carpenter, musician and family man from New York who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. At the start of the film it contrasts between his previous free life with his now stripped identity and battle with slavery, during this moment we are shocked for the same reason he is, we see a free man with his movement wrongly restricted. The film’s intense portrait of slavery adequately illustrates the grim and degrading suppression into slavery.


 Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays at the main character Solomon Northup serves a truly spectacular performance throughout the whole Film, his acting was raw and made you unable to look away from the screen. Although the movie was over 2 hours long and demoralizing to watch, I never found myself getting distracted. The language and violence in 12 years a slave is enough to make you wince and even make you feel anger toward the actors. The director Steve McQueen holds the shot of Solomon being hung with only the very tip of his toe stopping him from dying, whilst behind him the other slaves meekly go about their business. In conclusion, the film really impacted the way I thought about slavery, it did not glamorise the truth, it presented itself as truthful and electrifyingly real.

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