Strong and Harrowing look at the reality of slavery

Rating: 10/10 (16 April 2015)

Slavery is a subject that Hollywood doesn't touch enough. It was one of the most grim periods in American history. Slavery, however, is realistically demonstrated in this historical drama, based on a novel and real-life tale. Chiwetel Eijofor plays Solomon Northup, a free African-American husband and father of two, who is devastatingly stripped of his innocence when he betrayed by white men and sold into slavery. There, Northup struggles trying to survive the harsh reality of slavery in the Louisiania plantation, run by William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch).
Set in the 1850-60s, this film pulls absolutely no punches when depicting an image of slavery. The film is quite difficult to watch at times, especially since it is based on a true story. It is harrowing to watch how African Americans were treated so brutally, and how they were helpless against how these plantation owners deal with them with such callous attitude. It was painful to watch these innocent people being tied to trees, being whipped repeatedly with tremendous force, and being strangled to death. It is also harsh to see how the main character is psychologically torture by these men to the point where he gets forced to hurt some of his own people. Nonetheless, I was fascinated by how beautifully this was filmed, and the performances the actors give. Chiwetel Eijofor gave a mesmerizing performance as Solomon Northup, and the way he shows his emotions in many scenes gives his character a powerful feel. Michael Fassbender also showed some good talent as the plantation owner, Edwin Epps. We are also offered a brief, but memorable cameo by Brad Pitt.
Yes, this film is very brutal but that is what makes it powerful. This film is not only the best film dealing with slavery, or perhaps one of the films of the decade so far. If you happen to come across this film, you definitely need to watch it.