Struggle of a freeborn African American

Rating: 8/10 (24 August 2015)

Movie: 12 Years A Slave Genre: Historical Drama Director: Steve McQueen
Review: Based on Solomon Northup's memoir of the same name, '12 Years a Slave' tells the story of Northup, a freeborn African American musician in New York who is kidnapped in Washington in 1841 and sold to slavery in the Deep South. His two masters in the movie, kind William Ford and the ruthless Edwin Epps buy him for his extraordinary skills. The movie comprehensively portrays the horrors of slavery one can think of, viz. the whippings, the rapes and the casual cruelty. Platt continues to struggle against slavery until a sympthatetic Canadian carpenter Bass (Brad Pitt) hears his tale and helps Platt to be Solomon Northup again.
Knowing it is based on a narrative and the title suggesting time frame,the movie ensures a cold comfort at the end of a distressing 134 minutes. The acting is captivating, and leading the acting honours are Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northup, Michael Fassbender as the brutal Epps and Lupita Nyong'o as the slave Patsey — all three have done justice to their roles.
The movie ends on a happy note but leaves the viewer hopeless about the faceless numbers who may have been trapped in the vicious system of slavery.