12 Years a Slave, a review

   With an upsurge in Hollywood focus, after the success of Django Unchained, it seems the darkest era in the land of the frees past is finally being pulled from under the carpet to be given the recognition it deserves. However, none so far have looked at the slave trade in a more harrowing, revealing or Golden Globe-worthy style as Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave.

  Adapted from the 19^th-century memoir of Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), the intense drama follows the struggle of an educated family man, musician and carpenter as he is abducted from New York in 1841, transported south and sold into slavery. As common with African-Americans at the time, Solomon’s identity, humanity and past is brutally beaten from him until he accepts the name ‘Platt’ and becomes the property of Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), a sympathetic, yet chilling plantation and slave owner. Through confrontations with sadistic, power crazed farmhand, Tibeats (Paul Dano), Solomon is sold once again to the psychotic Epps (Michael Fassbender) where further emotional and physical abuse create a masterpiece that is brutal to watch.

   12 Years a Slave is a triumph from everyone involved in its production, with its biggest reward being the refreshment of seeing a film created for the noblest of purposes. The film both educates, invigorates and cultures its viewers with appalling realism over the most shameful and dehumanised periods ever exhibited by a self-named intelligent and civilised species.

   Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the role of Solomon so convincingly that it could possibly be the greatest of his lifetime. Subtle and slow changes in his posture, twitches of the lip and prolonged, deep eye contact with the camera; matched with his emotional chorus of ‘Roll Jordan, roll’ create a character even the racist Nick Griffin should sympathise with. Despite Ejiofor’s original reluctance to take the role, it’s hard to imagine anyone else filling Solomon’s tortured boots so well.

   Newcomer Lupita Nyong'o, who plays the slave girl Patsey, also stands out amongst the more recognised names and is at times more difficult to watch than Solomon. Capturing the attention of the unhinged plantation owner Epps, Nyong’o portrays the barbarous objectification of black women of the era with both strength and vulnerability as she is revered one moment and raped the next.

   Screenwriter John Ridley also deserves huge recognition for his success. Each use of the word ‘nigger’ re-humanises the audience with its true and vile meaning to superb effect. It’s a shocking contrast to the resulting joke of its overuse in Django Unchained and as care free filler in today’s rap music. It becomes increasingly painful to hear, especially after Paul Dano’s haunting rendition of ‘Run nigger, run’. The defiant way Epps describes the slaves as his property and the cold cruelty of even the female characters strikes hard and relentlessly, evoking revulsion and understanding to a dismaying degree.

   It is McQueen’s style and direction that makes 12 Years a Slave a triumph. His use of fearlessly lengthy single-takes against stunning backdrops makes us really see and feel what is happening. He makes a whole audience cringe with shame and question why and how this ever became wide-spread acceptable behaviour for so long. He doesn’t shy from brutal torture of the body and we’re forced to acknowledge flesh being whipped from bone. In one raw and particularly powerful scene, McQueen holds the shot of Solomon being hung from a tree as fellow slaves around him meander on, for so long I had to look away.

   12 Years a Slave is a modern classic. It is distressing to watch and rightfully so. With the exception of a diverting and ‘white saviour’ cameo from co-producer Brad Pitt, every aspect is beautifully crafted, from its music, narrative and settings to its breath-taking actors. McQueen has created a socially important look into our worlds past that will undoubtedly succeed in this year’s Oscars.