While it sits inescapably heavy, it is the most personal and accurate portrait of slavery in film history, beautifully directed and powerfully acted

Rating: 9/10 (14 November 2013)

This is a study of all parts of humanity, the horrifying and the triumphant, told through the inhumanity of American slavery. Its poetic filmmaking, told through the characters emotions and impeccable attention to detail, not a single frame of digital celluloid wasted, each shot a perfectly framed heart-wrenching photo. While some consider it slow and it will inescapably sit heavy on its viewer's minds, "12 Years" is the most personal, beautiful and accurate portrait of slavery in film history.
This is the true story of Solomon Northup (Ejiofor), a free man who was captured and sold into slavery in 1841. It covers the entirety of his 12 year slave-life, yet never struggles with this epic scope, bringing clarity to the characters and their motives. We meet many people along Solomon's path, each presenting the varied and confused relationships that existed between slaves and slave-owners. Pitt is a perfect wise old sage. Giamatti, Dano and Fassbender are revelatory and terrifying. Ejiofor brings literal chills to his performance, leaving us feeling bound with Northup. Most importantly, the film refuses to make any of these characters caricatures. We are forced to sympathize, or at least understand, all characters and their actions.
This is not a fun movie. It's probably not a movie people will want to re-watch. The bigotry this film reminds us of is almost otherworldly, and McQueen has no interest in making us comfortable with it; he intends to poke and prod at our sense of humanity and succeeds at every jab. However, this movie isn't simply "homework". It's essential film viewing.