12 Years a Slave (2013)

Genre

Biography | Drama | History

Director

Steve McQueen

Country

United States

Cast

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong'o, Alfre Woodard, Sarah Paulson, Scoot McNairy, Taran Killam, Garret Dillahunt, Michael Kenneth Williams, Quvenzhané Wallis, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp

Plot

1841. A free-born black man, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), was kidnapped and sold into slavery. At first, he decides that cooperation is the best way to survive. At the moderate humanity of his first master, William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) is opposed the violent and unrestrained cowardice of Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), the most fearsome of slaveholders. Epps, a frustrated and disturbed man, vents all his violence on mangled bodies of those who believed "owned" slaves, and his favourite victim is the young woman Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o), forced to pander the meanest instincts of the master. Wrapped in these heartbreaking images of inhumanity, Solomon, forced to respond to the more appropriate name of Platt, will finally surrender to surrounding cruelty and  his main target will be survive. Solomon's life change when he met the Canadian carpenter Bass (Brad Pitt).

Opinion

12 Years a Slave is a masterpiece! Steve McQueen made a solid and raw film, that brings us back in the horror of slavery and agonizing lives, defrauded of all their rights.

This film is fed by dramatic scenes through which come out all the brutality of the human being. The horror is so vast and unimaginable almost to freeze the emotions.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is stunning and unforgettable as Solomon Northup. Michael Fassbender delivers a performance plenty of emotions; arguably his best performance so far. Lupita Nyong'o is outstanding. Benedict Cumberbatch is good as the good slaver. Paul Giamatti and Sarah Paulson are both seen for a few minutes, but they are great.

Quotes

Solomon Northup: I don't wanna survive, I wanna live.