Solomon is a Solo Man

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2014)

With a shimmer of hope in his eyes Solomon Northup stated, "I don't want to survive. I want to live." (McQueen, 2013) 12 Years a Slave is based on a true story from the adaptation of Solomon Northup's 1853 memoir Twelve Years a Slave. Solomon Northup, a skilled violinist and carpenter, was a free born African-American man who was born in New York. However, he was abducted and sold as a slave in Washington, D.C. For 12 years he served for various masters throughout Louisiana.
From the literary aspect of the story line, I believe it was excellent. There have been various movies based off the slavery of the 18th century. Therefore, making another film about it would require the difficult task of making it stand out from the rest. However, 12 years a Slave did a fantastic job in making a name for itself. This film showed another perspective of slavery since Northup was a free African-American who was sold into slavery. The characters in the portrayal of this film were plausible, especially the main actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Solomon Northup. As a viewer, I felt his anguish when Northup was captured and taken from his family. Looking at the dialogue used in the film, which would be strange for modern day conversation, it was appropriate for the time setting. In the 18th century people spoke more properly. Looking at the major characters throughout the film, none of them showed and change. The masters continued to act like masters. Northup continued to be righteous. He went so far that he argued with one of his masters, which was an incident that almost got him lynched. Overall, the story captured my interest from the beginning until the end. I watched Northup when was a free man, when he was living as a slave, and when he was free once again.
The dramatic aspect of the film was well received. The majority of the actors did a great job at playing their part. However, there were was some acting that I would question. For example, Bass, who was played by Brad Pitt, picked up an English accent which I felt was not reasonable. The location and setting of the film was interesting since it is different from how it is nowadays. In the 18th Century there were more plantations than buildings. The actors wore costumes to fit in with that era. I believe 12 Years a Slave did a great job in portraying the characters and brought them to life while utilizing minimal movie stars. Brad Pitt was the sole blockbuster movie star of the film.
Camera angles, composition, lighting, music, and sound effects can make or break a film. I did not notice any flaw in the cinematography of 12 Years a Slave. I did notice, however, that the camera angle was usually taken from the side. There were not many scenes that were directly in front of the actors. I believe shooting the film in this manner gave it a darker and more dramatic feel. The movie portrays slavery, which is not a light topic, so it puts the viewers in a position where it is as if they are standing there with the actors. My favorite sound effect in the film was the threatening sound of a cracking whip. For example when Northup was being whipped for claiming he was not a slave. I also did not notice the use of music until the ending when the credits began showing.
If there was one thing I could change anything about the film, then I would allow for the development of other characters in the film. The film is based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup so naturally it would revolve around his character and his development. The film did not talk much about any of the other characters. I would have liked to see the development of a couple more characters. This would allow the viewers to get a better idea of how Northup's situation compared to the rest of the slaves or free men around him. For example, Patsey, played by Lupita Nyong'o, first appeared half way through the film. All we know about her is that her master molested her and at the end of the movie Northup gave her a glance before walking away. I am sure that many wondered what happened to her and would have liked to see her character develop a little more throughout the film.