A brutal true tale of slavery in the 1800's

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2015)

One thing I have learnt about film making is that if you can make your audience feel then you have a winner, whether that be by laughter, sadness, grief it doesn't matter, all that matters is you make them feel. I have seen many films that have made me feel something but the ones that have stuck with me over the years are the films I consider to be some of my all-time favourites. I'm still undecided whether 12 Years a Slave will fall into one of my favourites of all time but if it does it will only because of one reason
12 Years a Slave is based on a true story told by Solomon Northup the year is 1841 Solomon Northup is a free African American who makes a living by being a great violinist, he is well educated and what is very rare for that time he knows how to write and spell. Solomon is married and has two young children. One day he is approached by two men who ask him to join them in a trip to Washington DC to play a two week gig with his violin. Not long into the trip the two men drug Solomon and sell him into slavery. Solomon's name is changed to Platt by the slaver as well as where he is from which is now Georgia, he is sold to a plantation owner named Ford who looks after Platt quite well once he learns that he is a smarter than he lets on, unfortunately though there others who feel that it is their God given write to treat "niggers" as animals and go about doing just that. Platt is eventually sold on to protect himself to a malicious man Edwin Epps from here it's about Platt surviving anyway he can.
As I stated earlier this is a film designed to make you feel, and it does It so well, I guarantee you have a mix of emotions running through you from the opening to the credits and for me that is what makes an amazing film. The director Steve McQueen has only a few films under his belt but a whole lot of shorts and I fell he has done an amazing job, he hasn't done anything over the top its actually a very simple shoot. What he has done well is keep it simple, easy to follow, edgy and brutally honest. The beatings in this film can only be compared to "The Passion of the Christ" in their brutality and severity. The true heroes though are the actors, which I think every one of them have done an amazing job. Chiwetel Ejiofor (2012, Children of Men) is outstanding as Solomon Northup/Pratt, I can't help but imagine what the guy must have felt shooting some of those scenes he had to endeavour but either way he was amazing. Michael Fassbender (X-Men, Inglorious Bastards) was equally as amazing in his role, again I honestly believe he would have had nightmares after portraying his character he was very intense and so brutal. There are many other actors who all deserve recognition I think the entire cast should hold their heads up high for what they have accomplished here. I found it a little slow in places but not enough to worry really especially the first 10mins.
This isn't a feel good for humanity film, this is a film that will make you hate yourself, it'll make you think about that last joke you told, it'll make you appreciate everything you have today. It is a film that will make you heart ache; so get the tissues ready. To sum it up it is an amazing film for all the wrong reasons.