The Best Slavery Movie of All Time?

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2014)

Steve McQueen's last movie,'Shame', was one of the best films of 2011. It was very hard-hitting and difficult to watch at times, serving as a brilliant depiction of how sex can affect and manipulate relationships and lifestyles. When it was announced McQueen was making a movie about slavery, I prepared myself for it to be much the same but about slavery instead of sex. It turns out I wasn't prepared, as 12 Years A Slave is one of the most emotionally devastating movies I've ever seen.
I at first thought that I perhaps wouldn't be as engaged with 12 Years because I knew the outcome, after all it's not very hard to work out, just look at the title and you'll get a good idea. It turns out I was wrong, as when watching 12 Years I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. Even when there are disgusting acts being shown that are very difficult to watch, I kept looking because there's so much tension. As usual McQueen doesn't use short, snappy constant cuts, he includes lots of long shots which greatly add to the tension of the movie.
The acting is phenomenal. Chiwetel Ejiofor is incredible as Solomon Northup, bringing a level of depth and emotion to the character that few actors could. I wouldn't be surprised if Ejiofor took a leading actor Oscar, and I think Michael Fassbender stands a good chance of getting a supporting actor win. He's outstanding in his role as a slaver, making the character completely despicable and also showing the severe mental and psychological problems that this person clearly had. The supporting cast all do excellent jobs as well, including Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti and Brad Pitt.
12 Years features a beautiful score from Hans Zimmer, and Steve McQueen does a perfect job directing. There have been lots of films about slavery recently, but none are as jarring and harrowing as 12 Years. This is the first time in any slave movie I've ever felt true disgust towards slave owners and traders. Perhaps that's because I know 12 Years is based on a true story, so while other movies show fictional slavers, the ones in this movie were real. McQueen doesn't stray from showing the agony and suffering these people were put through, and I think that's for the better. There's no point in showing muted violence to try and cover up the past, let us see the true horrors we inflicted upon ourselves many years ago so it may never happen again. It's reasons like this that make 12 Years A Slave such an important movie; it's the 'Schindlers List' of slavery movies and it's essential you watch it as it will live on for decades to come.