It's not just the best film of the year; it's the best film in years

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2013)

Approximately fifteen minutes into 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northrop- having just been captured and about to be sold into slavery- receives a savage beating for daring to claim to be a free man from New York, and not a runaway slave from Georgia. It is a brutal scene, shot in one long, unflinching take. It is an important scene, setting the stage for the brutality to come. And midway through it- amidst gasps from the audience- three people stood up and left the theater I was in, never to return. I don't quite know what they were expecting, but whatever it was, Steve McQueen's savage film about a free man thrown into slavery was too much for them. And let this be a warning to similar moviegoers: 12 Years a Slave is graphic, unsettling, frightening, and incredibly disturbing. The film is full of shocking acts of intense violence, all of which are shot up close in very long takes. It is a hard movie to watch. It is unquestionably brutal.
It is also unquestionably best film of 2013. The year isn't over yet, and there are several buzz-worthy films yet to come out such as The Wolf of Wall Street or Dallas Buyers Club, but I can't see 12 Years a Slave being topped, because it's not just the best film I've seen this year, it might be the best film I've seen since 2006, when Pan's Labyrinth was released. It's also the closest I've come to crying during a film since then.
The film's concept- based on Northrop's own memoir- is the stuff that Oscar bait is made of. But unlike many of its genre peers- skirting by the heavy subject matter by merely hinting at the true evils of slavery- McQueen pulls no punches. He does not want to inspire you. He does not want to uplift you. He does not want to reaffirm any belief you might have that mankind is good and that justice will be served, because it never truly was. Northrop regained his freedom, but he was one of few who did, and his efforts to bring the force of the law upon his captors all failed. McQueen tells it like it is, showing every act of violence as clearly and slowly as he can. He does not want you to be entertained for two hours- he wants you, the audience, to feel like you are suffering along with our hero. And he is viciously effective at doing so.
And McQueen is a master craftsman, and his film is shot, edited, and scored in an unconventional but startlingly effective way. There is little to no expository dialogue, for everything you need to follow the story is present in the images he presents to you, and every emotion you need to feel is clearly conveyed by star Chiwetel Ejiofor's expressive face. Even the score is incredibly minimalist- especially by the standards of composer Hans Zimmer. Instead of his usual theatrics, Zimmer creates a loose weave of tonal colors; I would never have thought it was him had the credits not told me.
And McQueen surrounds himself with an incredible cast- Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt, Paul Dano, and Garrett Dillahunt all turn in wonderful performances, and Michael Fassbender gives a terrifying, fiery turn as a cruel and perverted plantation owner. But all of them- even Fassbender, who, as always, gives the film his all- are in the shadow of Chiwetel Ejiofor. Much of the film is carried by his body language, his expressions, and his powerful voice. If there is justice in the world, then he will take home the Academy Award for best actor this February, and McQueen will take the Oscar for Best Director. The film itself will win Best Picture. It has to. It simply has to.
As the film came to a close, much of the audience left in tears, and I sat in stunned silence as the credits rolled by, unable to move or speak. It is not only recommended that you see 12 Years a Slave, it is necessary that you do so. It is a masterpiece. Decades from now, people will speak of this film as a classic. And you need to see it now- on the big screen- so that you can say that you were there. I do not believe you- or I, for that matter- will ever forget it