The Best of 2013's Crop

Rating: 9/10 (26 December 2013)

2013 will be remembered cinematically for one of the strongest years in movie history. Not because it had one atomic offering, but because it had several films that were exceptional. Chief among them is 12 Years a Slave.
Following the journey of a free black man in the new world, Solomon Northrup is an intelligent, humble being played brilliantly by Chiwetel Ejiofor. The first half of the movie cuts back and forth between Solomon's life as a free man and his journey as an unlawfully captured slave. The contrast is damning as Solomon does his best to be a good husband and father while the next moment we see him in the throws of a sugar cane field, or cotton field in the next frame. What Ejiofor brings to the role of Solomon is not just a strong man, but a man who is apologetic and seemingly frail during his moments of freedom, but steely and malleable when he needs to survive. Every inch of his body is changed at some point in the film, whether it be from a learned fiddle player from the north, or to the violently beaten man who had just been whipped in the South. Even during times of great distress and fear like when he passes through a live lynching and must expose his owner's tags to a group of rednecks in the woods, the immense perspiration on his face and tremble in his hands are key to Ejiofor's exceptional performance.
The other actors who are given enough lines stand out tremendously too. Sarah Paulson as the mistress and terrifying wife of Master Epps, shines as the villainess who terrorizes the most beautiful conquest of the Epps estate, Patsey. The better half of the Epps household is Michael Fassbender's Edwin Epps, known to the locals as "The Slave Breaker". His excruciating punishments, biblical defenses for tyranny over his slaves, and insane personage rocks the screen every time he appears. His sick need to conquer Patsey is only succeeded by his harassment of the newest slave, Solomon. Epps fears nothing more than a learned slave and awaits any chance he can get to put Solomon down.
Lastly, there is Patsey herself. Every shriek, tear, and gulp, down to the very plea she makes for her life is burned into your mind as the movie goes on. Lupita Nyong'O deserves all the awards she gets for this one. As do Fassbender and Ejiofor. If these three cleaned up their respective acting categories on Oscar night, it will be a well earned victory for each one of them.
Steve McQueen, the director, does wonders in his role. Many of the films most brilliant moments come during the extended shots, though some tend not to make sense, hence the missing star. But for those that do work, they are agonizing. Solomon's hanging near death while the other slaves go about their day, and the kids play behind him takes us back to those days in a visceral and evocative way. McQueen's propensity to show us a myriad of characters all at once also suits the movies monstrously unprivate atmosphere. Slaves are bundled into houses that nearly don't fit them, and one scene in particular, where a female slave uses Solomon to orgasm then turns over and begins to weep is powerful because you realize that not even the basic need of sexual fulfillment can be enjoyed as they are all doomed to these public quarters where the fellow property resides.
12 Years a Slave is powerful. It is a slow burn to fruition as Solomon finds himself near the end, not a slave who awaits his freedom any longer or a slave who has given up hope. He finds himself in the death of an old man and realizes that he is strong, using his voice and a group song during the funeral of this old man to announce how powerful he is in the shackles of unjustice. Though ultimately fate has a different ending for him, "Roll, Johnnie roll," announces his full body armor has been constructed and his spirit cannot be obstructed. I highly recommend this movie to anyone that is worth their salt in cinema enthusiasm, and I hope that it is one day shown as mandatory education.