'12 Years A Slave' is a savage account of slavery and the Americans treatment of black people.

Rating: 8/10 (13 January 2014)

Steve McQueens new film '12 Years A Slave' is an adaptation of the memoirs of Solomon Northup, a free black American violinist from New York who was kidnapped and sold as a slave to a Louisiana plantation owner in 1841.
Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has a wife (Kelsey Scott) and children, and was enticed by a couple of showmen to play for a lot of money. After a heavy night of drinking with these men, he awakes to quickly realise that he is to be taken to New Orleans to meet the first of many unscrupulous men who use him as a slave. Slave trader Theophilus Freeman (Paul Giamatti) gives Solomon his new slave name Platt, and sells him to plantation owner Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch). As the film title suggests Northup spends the next 12 years as a slave, not just with Ford but also for an even more wicked cotton plantation owner, Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).
"Sin, there is no sin. I can do as I wish with my property", Epps is the quintessential hate- figure, a renowned "nigger breaker" who shows no compunction in lacerating his slaves whenever he chooses. By the time Northup becomes Epps' property, McQueens' singular focus on Northup's nightmare is all too real and harrowing. Northup dominates the film, but the strength of '12 Years A Slave' is not just in showing what he has gone through but that for the women its far worse. Women are regularly torn from their children who are sold separately, the likes of Patsy (Lupita Nyong'o) suffer the added torment of rape. Patsy is Epps' mistress of choice, not only does she suffer the abuse from him but also from the jealous Mrs Epps (Sarah Paulson) who is as equally vengeful.
Its an understatement to say that '12 Years A Slave' isn't an easy watch, McQueens unflinching and unsentimental film relives America's enslavement of black people in all its horror. There is so much detail in this film, even the language is historically accurate. Although filmed impeccably, there's a lot of economy in McQueens artistic flourishes, which is a shame. Everything is shown through the tormented eyes of the slaves, specifically Northup. McQueen isn't afraid to prolong the agony for maximum emotional impact, not least in the incredible hanging sequence where Northup's toes are barely touching the damp muddy ground. Its a thought-provoking and poignant moment, showing us not just the excruciating pain and suffering he had to endure but that all the other slaves carried on as normal for fear of similar reprisals if they helped him.
'12 Years A Slave' has some superb performances by a very strong cast, the big surprise being the unknown Nyong'o who is superb as Patsy. The film unearths devastating performances from the two outstanding British actors Fassbender and Ejiofor, using opposing techniques to flesh out their roles. The more theatrical Fassbender is repellent to the core, the epitome of evil. His faith in his religion and his own manipulation of it is a sad and all too real indictment of how religion is used to justify the worst in men. Ejiofor is spellbinding as the more internalised Northup, using his body and face to convey Northup's terror and anguish. And those eyes, those pained eyes of his which shows a normally articulate man inhibited by his inability to speak up for fear of being beaten or far worse.
'12 Years A Slave' is a savage account of slavery and the Americans treatment of black people. Slavery may be a thing of the past, but the film does also highlight the fact that enslavement comes in many forms and that it does still exist, its just not as visible.