12 Years a Slave: The Could, the Should and the Empty (Film Snob #1)

Of course I have to review movies! I will either post my take on a new film in here, or hearken back to less new movies that people may have missed, or talk about the ongoing TV shows I am watching. I will also sometimes review movies in anticipation of a new movie about to release (e.g. Sin City when Sin City 2 is about to come out).

12 Years a Slave

I shouldn’t have to write this. Everyone should already know what a wonderful film this was. Seriously. This is one of the best films of the last decade, and matches its power with that of films like Apocalypse Now or Schindler’s List. And yet, hardly anyone saw it, even with it now declared the Best Picture of 2013 by both me and the Oscars.

12 Years a Slave is based on an autobiographical novel by Solomon Northup, and follows his journey from free man of the North to kidnapped slave of the South and back. One of the astounding facets of Northup’s tale is how it still remains relevant today with a parallel to human trafficking. We’ve all seen the older slave movies or stories about the deep South (Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Django: Unchained, etc.), but I dare anyone to pick a movie that can place you so squarely into a slave’s life without pulling any punches.

This movie is beautiful. The cinematography and choice of direction of each scene speak volumes about director Steve McQueen, who has flourished since his early days as an art-piece short filmmaker. I can think of two scenes off the top of my head where the most beautiful shots coincide with the horror of slavery.

When an offended overseer attempts to lynch Solomon Northup, another seer runs him off since he’s “the master’s property” to protect. The next three minutes or so show Solomon tip-toeing to keep himself alive as he halfway-hangs from a tree. The other slaves awaken and begin walking around him, ignoring him as they complete their tasks. The beautiful summer sun hits the fauna of the Deep South marshes as it ascends and descends upon Solomon struggling with all his might not to slip and choke to death before his master returns to cut him down.

The second scene shows all of the slaves standing together over the grave of one who finally fell. They begin singing a song about “Roll, Jordan, roll,” and Solomon finally sings for the first and only time in the film. The outline of the grand white house of the master sits behind them, surrounding their poor graveyard of mud and sticks.

But one scene will always stand out to me. A ten minute shot with NO cutting follows the escalation of an argument into threatening, then one slave is forced to whip another, and for the entire scene, the camera switches between focusing on faces and their emotions or on the brutal rending of flesh. Be forewarned: this movie will not be for the faint of heart.

I cannot say enough about this movie, but every review must end. I didn’t even get to mention the terrific music, the stellar acting, and the heart-rending story. But mark my words: this will go down as the greatest film of 2014, if not the 2000’s.

Verdict: You DEFINITELY SHOULD see this movie!

P.S. – my ranking system goes from Definitely Should > Should > Probably Should > Could > Could at a Dollar Theater > Empty > Empty Inside.