"I Don't Wanna Survive. I Wanna Live."

Rating: Null/10 (19 January 2014)

Mankind has come a long way from just being another mammal to the self-proclaimed masters of the planet. But the one thing that has continued to accompany us throughout the course of our evolution has been our inhuman desire to submit others to our will. Slavery has existed since the dawn of man & continues to exist even today in all forms; be it forced labour, human trafficking or debt bondage. 12 Years A Slave takes us back to the days America is ashamed of & tells the story of Solomon Northup; a free-born Negro & skilled violinist living with his family in New York who, on the pretext of making more money, was brought to Washington D.C. in 1841 and was later deceived, kidnapped & sold into slavery.
While narrating Solomon's plight from his bondage to his eventual release over a decade later, this film also paints a viciously devastating portrait of American slavery & isn't going to be an easy sit for everyone. Unflinchingly scripted by John Ridley & excellently directed by Steve McQueen who leaves no stone unturned to prove that slavery is the lowest form of how one human can exploit another, steadily photographed, sensibly edited, calmly scored & outstandingly well performed by a strong cast of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender & others, and each one of them have contributed greatly in delivering the year's strongest ensemble performance.
Leading from the front is Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in what is certainly a career- defining work that deserves all the praise it has garnered so far & more. Supporting him remarkably well are Lupita Nyong'o & Michael Fassbender and even the small cameos by Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano & Brad Pitt end up making a mark in this film. On an overall scale, 12 Years A Slave is an emotionally scarring cinema about one of the most barbaric events in mankind history and benefits greatly from McQueen's bold direction, unflinching script, historical accuracy & strong performances from its highly talented cast. There are always some films out there which deserve to be seen no matter how disturbing or upsetting their experience could be and 12 Years A Slave is definitely one of them. Strongly recommended.
Full review at: cinemaclown.wordpress.com