A Cinematic Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2014)

When I mentioned 12 Years a Slave to my Dad, he said, "I hear that's great but depressing."
An apt analysis, some may agree. But I would de-emphasize the depression aspect of this movie.
There are quite a few more tears than I am used to relinquishing, however, the majority are triggered by the happiness of the ending.
I'm not sure if it's desensitization or a function of my age, but I would not describe the material as specifically "depressing."
Horrifying? Sure.
Moving? Riveting? Absolutely.
But I don't believe it induces a sad darkness that hitchhikes upon your brain for a number of days. We're all aware slavery happened, right?
I do not mean this to be critical towards the specificity of my father's diction. It's more to discourage a certain mindset.
If you want to see a great movie, no matter how often you see them, 12 Years a Slave is easily worth the two hours and fourteen minutes. It's shot remarkably well, edited masterfully, and retells the true story of the novel by Solomon Northup.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is spectacular in this role. Perhaps it's the lack of theatricality in his performance, but it's just stunning. It's the perfect mix of reserved and outspoken.
Towards the beginning, when the man breaks two separate paddles over his back, how does he prepare for that sort of acting? Seriously, it baffles me. I'm so thoroughly convinced by Chiwetel's performance that I'm more focused on what the other actor is actually breaking the paddles over.
(I shouldn't think like that during first viewings, but can't help myself sometimes.)
According to IMDb, Chiwy learned to play the violin for this role! Could he be any more of a boss?
When he starts to sing with the other cotton-picking slaves is a wonderful transformative moment. But the whole movie is great; each scene is so beautiful and the conflicts running beneath are palpable.
You can feel the very value of his life diminishing as a product; a piece of human property. The film explores the themes of slavery so efficiently; that I wonder how much of the material actually came from the book.
The thing is, either way, the film takes place over the course of twelve years. I'm certain all of these things could have happened to him throughout that period. It seems like there are mostly only cruel white men in this world. Or at least, only slightly sympathetic Caucasians.
Which, as a side note, is perhaps the only loose thread in the screenplay's quilt. Perhaps the only white slave depicted in the film shouldn't be the one to betray Chiwetel to Fassbender. But that's semantics, because it only further reinforces his apprehension when Brad Pitt rolls around.
So the weakness of that criticism is illustrative of any others I might have with this film – mild and without any real footing.
Like Eliza's crying. It went on a touch too long, but perhaps that's exemplary of the lifestyle Solomon had to endure. Perhaps there were times the crying went on much longer for him.
So overall, I give 12 Years a Slave two big thumbs up. It's #4 on my 'Best Films of 2013' list.
It's a visual masterpiece and tells an exhilarating narrative