12 Years a Slave

Early in 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northup, a free man who has been betrayed, kidnapped and sold into slavery, stands up to one of his cruel masters. He was willing to quietly labor until he found some way to escape, but there was a limit to the amount of abuse he would take. On one particularly hot day, Solomon refuses to follow the unreasonable demands of his master which leads to an ugly fight that ends up with Solomon turning the whip on his tormentor. Immediately afterwards, Solomon is told by another slave-driver — seemingly kinder, more rational, and for that reason all the more disturbing — to stay put, because maybe his life could be spared. Out of fear of death, Solomon obeys. He is hanged, but doesn’t die. In a tight closeup, his feet are shown grazing the thick mud beneath. His neck doesn’t break. He doesn’t choke. He simply hangs there breathing slowly and heavily. Director Steve McQueen pulls back to show this in an almost unbearably long take that lasts for a few minutes and long shot that allows the audience to see everything going on around Solomon. Solomon weakly flails about, but slaves and owners alike continue with their day. Only one woman, a  slave, approaches him to comfort him and offer him water. The rest have seen this before, and they would probably see it again long after Solomon has gone, so they continue with their daily routines. Children, also accustomed to the sight, play in the background.

Solomon's life story is fascinating, more than most, but the story of slavery the same for all. It is the story of a race's  survival under the face of unspeakable cruelty, ignorance, and indifference. Solomon is at once a unique individual and a stand in for all slaves.  The first shot of the movie is of a line of slaves on a field, awaiting instructions for a hard day of work. The message is clear. Solomon is far from the only one going through "a difficult time these past years," as he puts it once he’s free — in fact, many of them had to endure a whole lifetime of difficulty. For Solomon it was 12 years a slave, but for many more it was closer to 70 years a slave. McQueen rarely lets you forget. That’s the point of the film. Through this vivid, sickening, necessary portrait of slavery, McQueen makes sure no one ever forgets the atrocity.

After this episode, Solomon is sold, beaten, and humiliated countless times. His new master, Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), takes perverse pleasure in breaking slaves, and twists law and religion for self justification. These slaves are property, he tells himself over and over. If he stopped believing it for a second, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself, so he screams it with all of his might. Years pass, shattering Solomon's spirit and hopes of reuniting with his family. Towards the end of the film, he is instructed, at gunpoint and the threat of death, to whip a fellow slave, the closest person he has to a friend. For a second, it seems as if Solomon will rise up and fight like in the beginning of the film, but he sadly gives in. The movie all too effectively shows how a barrage of sustained abuse can lead a person — even one as decent and morally upright as Solomon Northup — to succumb and commit any number of atrocities to survive.

After the grueling test, Solomon’s face is drained from all joy, pain and passion. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s eyes tell us all we need to know. McQueen knows this, and gives his actor a heartbreakingly beautiful closeup that might just be the best shot in one of the most visually stunning films of the year. 

At this point in the story, as the answer to an unspoken prayer, a good man appears. He is played by Brad Pitt, who does a wonderful job with the small, though crucial, material he is given. In his first scene, he argues with Epps, saying that in the eyes of God, and whether black or white, what’s true and right for one is true and right for all. Afterwards, he hears Solomon’s story and writes to his family to set him free once and for all. Many critics feel this turn in the story jarring and out of sync with the rest of the movie, but it is rightfully earned, and a relief. 


Without the familial reunification the film would have been too bleak to bear, so McQueen gracefully delivers the poignant and necessary scene. But the movie doesn’t end there. Titles let us know that Solomon kept fighting the rest of his life to end slavery. Slavery might be over, but it is real and present in the film and reminds us all sorts of violations against humanity continue to happen around us. We must not forget.

Verdict- 4/4
12 Years a Save (2013) 2h 13min. R

Random Thought.
-Steve McQueen is British. Few directors operate at his level, but why was it not an American director who first tackled slavery in such a meaningful way?