12 Years a Slave
2013 · Directed by Steve McQueen
Original language: English
- drama
- history
The story
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.
What it’s like
Long, unhurried takes in the humid Louisiana heat, with the camera holding on faces and bodies while the frame stays still and the viewer is made to wait, a discipline that makes every cruelty land harder. The palette is warm and sun-bled in the fields, all ochre, sweat-sheen and green-brown cane, then cooler and greyer in the plantation house, with candlelit interiors and the flat light of dusk on wooden porches. Sound is sparse: insects, creaking timber, the heavy breath of labour, and Hans Zimmer's restrained strings arriving only in brief swells. Nothing here is gentle. Violence is frequent and sustained, including a prolonged whipping scene, and there are sexual assaults and sustained psychological cruelty; the film builds dread and prolonged suffering rather than quick shocks. Its emotional register is grave, watchful and occasionally tender, following a man whose inner dignity is tested day after day until a single human connection shifts the shape of his story. Best for viewers who want serious, unflinching historical drama, approached with the stamina it asks for, and not for anyone seeking comfort.
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