A fine film

Rating: Null/10 (6 November 2016)

I had heard of this film, but had no idea what it was about. I found a copy on Blueray and decided to give it a try based on name only. It is a fascinating story to begin with and historically really shows the shame of the old south of how cruel slavery really was. The acting really is superb all around and by everyone involved. You really feel the pain of the characters and develop a real hatred for the slave owners for treating people so cruelly. As for film technique, I was super impressed by the use of long takes. Some of them are rather astounding. The hanging scene, with no music, just hanging there while others walk around pretending to not notice really hit home. As, well, the whipping scene of the girl was a real masterpiece. I had to rewind the film again to make sure it was one long take. Super well done for sure. That scene took a lot of rehearsal and planning. Wow, what a great job. Director Steve McQueen really knows his stuff. Real genius as far as I'm concerned. To pull of a scene like that in one take is super impressive.