it is one of those movies that not only Americans, but all the movie-going public needs to see.

Rating: 10/10 (10 April 2016)

A true story provides the background for this tragic, and incredibly thought-provoking film. As many have already stated, there is a surprising dearth of feature films that deal with this most uncomfortable of subjects – slavery in the USA. Even more surprising – or maybe predictable, depending on your point of view – is that it has taken an English Director and largely European actors, to bring to the silver screen the tale of Solomon Northrup; a free black man living in upstate New York in the 1840's, who was kidnapped and sold into southern slavery. Director Steve McQueen, writer John Ridley, (an American), actors Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and the rest of the stellar cast have, without any doubt, produced an immensely moving and highly watchable film.
Although there is much suffering, violence and cruelty depicted in the film, some say that the violence has been played down and that the reality of American slavery was much, much worse. Having recently Read Toni Morrison's "Beloved", I don't doubt it. The Director and writer also acknowledge that this may be so, but clearly they had to ask themselves what exactly would be achieved by endless violence, brutality and death, except to provide personal gratification to some sections of the audience.
Few films have been made on this subject, and by general consensus, none have been definitive. This being the case, the film-makers owed it to themselves – and their audience – to produce something that caught the essence of that troubled period of American history. They needed to show us what it was all about, without overwhelming the audience with an unremitting catalogue of unspeakable violence and depravity.
What they did show us is that there was no such thing as 'good' white slavers, even though some may have seemed 'less bad' than others; and that there were plenty of really evil slavers whose behaviour was unspeakably monstrous. Then there were the hapless slaves themselves. The women were raped, their children were split up and sold away from their families and they were all kept in line by brutal intimidation and the fear of summary execution for even the slightest infraction. All the above – and more – is shown in this film. For some reason, the horrors of slavery seem even more real when seen through the terrified eyes of an educated black man who was once lucky enough to have known a different life.
Twelve Years A Slave should be seen by every living American, just to remind them of how some of their not so distant ancestors behaved and to know about the unspeakable horrors that took place in their own country. They need to realise that this true event only happened a mere 150 years ago, and that slavery in their country still has ramifications within the social structure of present day USA. Even in my own lifetime, blacks in much of America were often abused, occasionally lynched and always treated as strictly second-class citizens.
If I was a black man living in today's America, how would I feel about my slave ancestors? Would I feel that it was another time and another place and life had moved on since then? Or would I wonder what manner of humanity sought to subjugate my race, and as recently as fifty years ago, I wouldn't have been permitted to sleep in the same hotel, or sit on the same bus seat or eat in the same restaurant or attend the same school as my white, fellow-citizens.
This is not a particularly easy film to watch, but it is one of those movies that not only Americans but all the movie-going public needs to see, as one way or another, it is all part of our shared history. Certainly us Brits - from where so many of the southern slavers' ancestors originated - have little to crow about, having been one of the main participants in the African slave trade for the best part of 300 years.
Don't get me wrong, the film is entertaining and contains some towering, inspirational performances from the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, and Michael Fassbender. It received 9 Oscar nominations and won for Best Picture, Best Supporting actress, and best-adapted screenplay. And it does have a happy ending, of sorts.
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