If you can't stand the heat... (slaves didn't have that choice).

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2013)

To those who don't like seeing what the reality was like, I advise you to just take a moment and imagine if you had been a slave: "there but for the grace of God go I." Or have you not heard of that one? If you have a legitimate criticism about the film, that's fine. I too was wondering about Solomon's "back story," and it's certainly possible he was a bit of a "sketchy character." To cite that possibility as a reason to dismiss his ordeal, however, demonstrates a lack of humanity. Instead, I would like the director to have figured out a way to make that less conspicuous.
In fact, I would rather have seen a different ex-slave's account as the basis for this kind of film. Or what about the subject being one of the major slave rebellions? We could have been shown what plantation life was like first, and then the audience would have to ponder some intriguing questions. Tension could have been built up effectively, whereas here Solomon is rescued with little drama. While this doesn't detract from his account, it does suggest a more creative cinematic approach should have been employed. And while this film is actually not nearly as "graphic" as it could have been, in terms of what some slaves experienced, there isn't much in the way of "sugar coating," and in a sense the brutality becomes the focus of the film. Perhaps because of this, it leaves a somewhat scattered impression.
Unlike some critics here, I like the nature shots, and wish there would have been a better use of the scenery. If you don't have an idea of what that might accomplish, I suggest watching "Aguirre, the Wrath of God." And while it's certainly true there wasn't 'much in the way of "comic relief," there didn't need to be. Instead, a more documentary style could have been adopted, and if so, odd or ridiculous mannerisms or situations could have supplied some kind of a break to the brutality presented. Again, the best movie I've seen that succeeds with this approach is "Aguirre..." Some of the things I really liked about this film included the sort of psychodrama aspect to living in this kind of society, as well as the physical proximity that often existed between slave owners and the slaves. It's almost like the slave owners felt the need to think that they controlled the minds of their slaves, though they might say that the slaves did not possess fully human minds. This film does a good job on these accounts. If you want to learn more, I suggest the book, "Honor and Violence in the Old South," though I am not claiming I agree with everything the author argues. And of course there are the primary sources ("slave narratives").
Some of the things I really liked about this film included the sort of psychodrama aspect to living in this kind of society, as well as the physical proximity that often existed between slave owners and the slaves. It's almost like the slave owners felt the need to think that they controlled the minds of their slaves, though many would have said that the slaves did not possess fully human minds. This film does a good job on these accounts, giving us a sense of how alien it was from our experiences. If you want to learn more, I suggest the book, "Honor and Violence in the Old South," though I am not claiming I agree with everything the author argues. And of course there are the primary sources (the other "slave narratives"), some of which you can read online for free.