A glance into the horrors of slavery.

Rating: 9/10 (13 December 2015)

The movie, "12 Years a Slave," gives an accurate and poignant portrayal of the inhumane conditions and treatment many African Americans were forced to endure on a daily basis. The movie is based on the true story of a free black man, Solomon Northup, living in New York. Northup was born free and lived a happy, comfortable life with his wife and two young children until one day everything changed.
While in D.C to play his violin, Northup is drugged and kidnapped. He is then sold into plantation slavery and begins the worst twelve years of his life. He is stripped of his identity and given a new name. Throughout the movie, Northup spends time with a variety of owners and experiences the harsh southern brutality that characterizes slavery.
Though I've learned a great deal about slavery in school, this was the first movie about slavery that I've watched. By watching "12 Years a Slave" I learned something that cannot be taught in textbooks. The movie brought the unfathomable cruelty of slave owners to life. The characters in the movie do an amazing job portraying the injustice of the time period and provide insight to the fact that slaves were considered nothing more than property. Plantation owners justified their acts by telling themselves they had the, "right to do as they pleased with their property," and they never received any repercussions for their actions.
On top of the great portrayal of the hostilities of the slave owners, the movie also is also successful representing the time period. The movie shows the unlawful acts that took place under the Fugitive Slave Acts in 1850. African Americans, free or runaway, were captured and put into slavery. Moreover, the movie shows the emotional, heartbreaking separation of a mother and her children, and people being beaten for simply telling the truth. Finally, the movie accurately portrays the original book with minimal changes.
Overall, although hard to watch at some times, "12 Years a Slave" is a must see. Watching it is life-changing and will impact your perspective of slavery.