Vital

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2014)

12 Years a Slave may lack the unique boldness of Steve McQueen's previous films but it's still not the filmmaking you'd expect for such a biopic. From start to finish, the film borders on art house cinema and period flick. But McQueen's signature long takes are what reinforces the horror behind this particular part of history which Hollywood had once shunned away from for so long.
The film certainly doesn't shy away from the raw suffering and realism of the narrative with gruesome shots of the slaves open wounds and scars. One of the most memorable yet hard to watch scenes comes in the form of an agonising and never-ending wide shot of Northup's punishment of being forced to hang by the neck from a tree. Blatant evil and helplessness of an individual is spoken while children play in the background and other slaves turn a blind eye while Northup is on the brink of suffocation.
Chiwetel Ejiofor shines as lead character Solomon Northup with a moving performance worthy of his many award wins and nominations. Michael Fassbender gives depth to his sadistic, self-loathing villain Edward Epps. You'll be on the edge of your seats whenever these actors share the screen.
Lupita Nyong'o is a perfect example of the supporting cast standing out from the crowd. Nyong'o showcases one of the finest feature film debuts to date with her character Patsey. A brilliant Sarah Paulson encourages the biggest gasps and hisses from the audience. The most underrated performance definitely goes to Paul Dano - even though his character only appears in a select number of scenes during the films first hour - who is on remarkable form.
The films sound design is also an instant masterpiece. The amplified cracking of a whip will make your heart skip a beat while the soothing natural sounds of the plantations mixed with the slaves' songs provide enough emotion to make you wince. However, Hans Zimmer's score doesn't quite have the impact as expected.
Steve McQueen paints a vital and heartbreaking portrait of a shameful historic truth. 12 Years a Slave feels like a powerful history lesson told by some of the most genuine performances you will ever see from an immensely talented cast.