Movie Review of 12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave, a widely acclaimed film, portrays the institution of slavery in the most
accurate, heart wrenching way making it a must-see for all audiences. The film, directed by
Steven McQueen, was originally an autobiography by Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor),
depicting his own experiences as a slave. Northup was born a free slave in Saratoga, NY, until
slave owners abducted and shipped him to a Louisiana plantation during the mid-1800s. Slave
owners changed his name to Platt and Northup was forced into subordination and to conceal his
literacy just to survive. The movie does a stellar job of portraying Northups life, the treachery he
faced for 12 years, and the realism of slavery during the time period. Academy-award-winning
12 Years a Slave is such a powerful film due to its historical truthfulness, power to educate, and
extremely realistic depiction of slavery, which no other film about slavery accomplishes.
As soon as the movie commences the audience is infatuated with Solomons character
and his necessity to do anything to survive. As he suppresses his rage at having to hide the fact
that he is literate, the audience tries to hide their exasperation as well. Chiwetel Ejiofers acting
makes viewers understand just how treacherous slave life on a plantation was and the terrible
acts they even had to commit to one another. He goes from being a relatable character, as an
accredited musician and family man, to someone audience members could not possibly
empathize with due to his shocking transformation into a slave. Ejiofer through his body
language and minimal expressions helped the audience see his pain through more than physical
torture. McQueens choice of cast did an incredible job of turning Northups narrative into
something historically accurate and educational. While Django and Beloved are amazing movies
they do not compare to the realism of 12 Years a Slave, which makes it a film above all others.

Additionally, the movie continuously shows an interest in the language and punishment
of slaves through beatings, floggings, and rape. It makes it extremely unbearable to watch at
times, but does the necessary thing of showing all sides of slavery, no matter how cringe-worthy.
McQueen left nothing to the imagination when it came to the brutality of slave owners,
especially the character of Edward Epps, but it helps the audience understand just how inhumane
slavery was. Also the movies continual use of certain language showed just how derogatory
most whites thought blacks were during the time. The screenwriter included consistent
comparisons to slaves and different animals showing they could never rise to a white mans
status. This historical accuracy, although little, added to the thoroughness of the movie and
educated moviegoers on more than just the violence of slavery.
Additionally, 12 Years a Slave shows exemplary displays of the role of black and white
women during slavery, helping enlighten people on the role of women during this time period.
Plantation owners wives were shown as heartless and unsympathetic toward all female slaves,
especially the ones their husbands would take advantage of, adding to the veracity of the movie.
McQueen showed this through Eppss wife who wanted to murder Patsey (Lupita Nyongo), one
of Eppss mistresses, and took pleasure in seeing her lashed. Lupita Nyongo deserved an Oscar
for her fiery, fragile, and realistic portrayal of a slave girl in the movie. Her character showed the
indescribable hate she had for herself after Epps would continually rape her and how she would
rather kill herself than live another day on the plantation. The audience cringed and cried with
her as the owner repeatedly whipped her when he actually loved her, but who couldnt admit it
for fear of retribution. The film accurately showed how while being a male slave could be
torturous, being a female slave was double the torture due to the sexual abuse from their masters
and the wrath from their mistresses.

Subsequently, audiences also empathized while one slave womans children were ripped
from her arms and sold to different plantations. McQueen enraged moviegoers when her white
mistress, who had children, said she would soon forget about her babies. This shows the
unsympathetic nature of white mistresses during the time and their inability to comprehend a
slave womans sorrows, even though they were both women. The historical accuracy and
sorrowfully realistic scenes of 12 Years a Slave makes it accessible to audiences and
accomplishes the films goal of being superior to other slave films.
12 Years a Slave, while extremely hard to watch at times, precisely depicts the treachery
of slavery in the south during the 1800s. This movie is widely acclaimed due to its power to
reach audiences through the sadly, realistic story of Northup and the incredible acting of the cast.
McQueen made sure that all the understated words and physical actions meant something, adding
to the truthfulness of the story. This movies power to educate and move a variety of moviegoers
shows the significance of authenticity within a film. Overall, while difficult to watch, this is a
must-see movie because of its moving narrative, passionate cast, and dedication to the true story.