Movie Review
Film- 12 years a Slave
Director - Steve McQueen
Written by - Solomon Northup
Genre- Autobiography / drama/ history
"The story is amazing but not in a good way. " that's what a white man, Bass , a carpenter from Canada says when he hears the story of Solomon Northup or Platt. That's what we viewers too feel when we watch this heart rending story of a musician who is taken as a slave by the white elite.He faces the worst physical and mental abuses at the hands of his masters who buy him and worse still, he loses contact with his wonderful family. His wife and two children are unaware of his whereabouts and when he meets them finally as a free man once again, he has a lot of catching up to do with regards to the way their life has shaped after his disappearance from the family.
The movie is an adaptation of the story of the same name by Solomon Northup a citizen of New-York, kidnapped in Washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the Red River in Louisiana. The story is a memoir by Solomon Northup as told to and edited by David Wilson. It is a slave narrative of a black man who was born free in New York state but kidnapped in Washington, D.C., sold into slavery, and kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana.The movie is a depiction of those years of Solomon in slavery.
Solomon Northup, played brilliantly by Chiwetel Ejiofor, makes us feel distraught as we see the inhuman treatment given to the slaves. When we watch this movie, we wish it wasn't a true story because it is a gut wrenching one. Solomon sees a life full of misery and torture. He even has to forgo his name and is rechristened Platt.
Some of the scenes stay with us long after the movie. The way Platt sings at the funeral of a fellow slave, Platt burning the letter he had written with much hope, Platt as he tries to keep his feet to the ground when he is hanging on the tree for disobeying his master , Patsy being raped and lashed, the slaves being auctioned away and Solomon meeting his family after his ordeal, all these are scenes that make us wince and make us realize the torture and trauma of the slaves. This movie also takes care to show us that not all whites are ruthless. As Solomon changes hands as a slave, he also has two masters that are more understanding and accommodating to his needs. One of his masters even gives him a violin as a gift. There is a lot of reference to the spiritual teachings by some of the masters who claim that the scriptures say that slaves are meant to suffer.
Solomon Northup hopes to get back to his family and see his children. This movie is about his quest to get back to his free life once again. This movie is definitely not for the weak-hearted as there are some really disturbing scenes. Cannot imagine what the so called slaves went through that time!
It has excellent music and screenplay. Each and every character does an amazing job with apt emotions that reach out to us.
A gem of a movie that cannot be missed unless you cannot bear to see the agony and pain the movie portrays.
Film- 12 years a Slave
Director - Steve McQueen
Written by - Solomon Northup
Genre- Autobiography / drama/ history
"The story is amazing but not in a good way. " that's what a white man, Bass , a carpenter from Canada says when he hears the story of Solomon Northup or Platt. That's what we viewers too feel when we watch this heart rending story of a musician who is taken as a slave by the white elite.He faces the worst physical and mental abuses at the hands of his masters who buy him and worse still, he loses contact with his wonderful family. His wife and two children are unaware of his whereabouts and when he meets them finally as a free man once again, he has a lot of catching up to do with regards to the way their life has shaped after his disappearance from the family.
The movie is an adaptation of the story of the same name by Solomon Northup a citizen of New-York, kidnapped in Washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the Red River in Louisiana. The story is a memoir by Solomon Northup as told to and edited by David Wilson. It is a slave narrative of a black man who was born free in New York state but kidnapped in Washington, D.C., sold into slavery, and kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana.The movie is a depiction of those years of Solomon in slavery.
Solomon Northup, played brilliantly by Chiwetel Ejiofor, makes us feel distraught as we see the inhuman treatment given to the slaves. When we watch this movie, we wish it wasn't a true story because it is a gut wrenching one. Solomon sees a life full of misery and torture. He even has to forgo his name and is rechristened Platt.
Some of the scenes stay with us long after the movie. The way Platt sings at the funeral of a fellow slave, Platt burning the letter he had written with much hope, Platt as he tries to keep his feet to the ground when he is hanging on the tree for disobeying his master , Patsy being raped and lashed, the slaves being auctioned away and Solomon meeting his family after his ordeal, all these are scenes that make us wince and make us realize the torture and trauma of the slaves. This movie also takes care to show us that not all whites are ruthless. As Solomon changes hands as a slave, he also has two masters that are more understanding and accommodating to his needs. One of his masters even gives him a violin as a gift. There is a lot of reference to the spiritual teachings by some of the masters who claim that the scriptures say that slaves are meant to suffer.
Solomon Northup hopes to get back to his family and see his children. This movie is about his quest to get back to his free life once again. This movie is definitely not for the weak-hearted as there are some really disturbing scenes. Cannot imagine what the so called slaves went through that time!
It has excellent music and screenplay. Each and every character does an amazing job with apt emotions that reach out to us.
A gem of a movie that cannot be missed unless you cannot bear to see the agony and pain the movie portrays.
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