“12 Years a Slave” is a harrowing portrait of a man caught in the trappings of slavery. It’s heady, graphic and lushly filmed but never once does it tread into the dangerous preachy territory that slavery movies often do.
“12 Years a Slave” is the true story of Solomon North (Chiwetel Ejiofor, “Salt”), a free man from upstate New York in the 1840s who finds himself kidnapped and sold into slavery. Solomon spends a dozen years laboring under various masters and falling deeper and deeper into despair as the burdens of slavery slowly break his soul.
The film features one of the most impressive lineup of bit parts and supporting roles this year. Paul Giamatti (“Romeo and Juliet”), Paul Dano (“Prisoners”), Brad Pitt (“World War Z”), Michael K. Williams (“Snitch”) and Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Fifth Estate”) all made brief, scene-stealing appearances.
Perhaps the most impressive of the supporting cast was Michael Fassbender (“Prometheus”) who played such a loathsome, immoral slave owner that it was difficult to watch him on screen. Fassbender’s unhinged, off-the-wall portrayal of slave owner Edwin Epps was hard to stomach, becoming the film’s easy villain.
But none of them could outshine Ejiofor, who put forth a powerful and raw performance while barely speaking a word. Eijofor, who has mostly worked as a character actor for the past few decades, emerges as the most emotive, riveting actor in this movie. Solomon is a quiet and reserved character, rarely speaking a line of dialogue, but Eijofor can bring forth a surge of emotions just through the power of his eyes.
Director Steve McQueen (“Shame”) deserves just as much credit to the terrible beauty of this film as Eijofor. His exquisite visuals raise the movie up from simply being emotionally manipulative. Sometimes his shots get a bit too artful, but they often seem to mimic the restrained acting style of Eijofor.
The movie screams “prestige flick” but rarely falls into the depressing lethargy that its Oscar-bait predecessors fell victim to. Instead, “12 Years a Slave” revels in the jarring—juxtaposing the natural beauty of the Deep South with the terrible, disturbing experiences of the slaves.
“12 Years a Slave” can sometimes become sluggish or redundant, but it is apt considering the title. While some may complain of the lingering shots or abundance of close-ups, it only adds to the raw, emotive style of the film.
“12 Years a Slave” is not for the weak of heart. It’s powerful, but it’s a raw and graphic portrayal of slavery that offers little resolution for those wanting revenge for those wronged. The film spends much of the time building up an intense hatred for Epps, but the film ends on a slight note of dissatisfaction.
“12 Years a Slave” is an engrossing, shocking movie that finds the perfect balance between art film and exploitation film. The powerful performances, the beautiful visual direction and the resonant story makes “12 Years a Slave” one of the best films of the season.
