12 Years a Slave

I finally worked up the nerve to see the film “12 Years a Slave,” which I knew would be brutal and intense. It’s the true story of a freed slave in New York who is kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery to work on plantations in Louisiana. I felt I should see it, slavery being such a big part of U.S. history — and the evil indelible toll that it took on a good portion of the population and its effects there ever after.

Many films before have sugar-coated or skirted the evils of slavery, such as “Gone With the Wind” in 1939. But director Steve McQueen’s film doesn’t pull any punches. It depicts the violence, brutality and inhumanity of slavery while following Solomon Northup’s life story. It’s harrowing and hard to watch at times: the family break-ups, beatings, rapes, and lynchings. You just keep hoping that Solomon will be able to put an end to his captivity. Chiwetel Ejiofor is terrific in the lead role, expressing so much pain with little dialogue, and Michael Fassbender is simply chilling as the Southern plantation owner. But as evil as he is, his character is seemingly typical of whites’ attitudes during those times and places, which the film so faithfully illustrates.

I can’t think of many films that so boldly face up to slavery such as this one. Granted, I did not see “Django Unchained” last year, which I should have, but it seems perhaps a different kind of film, more Tarantino-ish. I remember as a kid watching “Roots” on TV in the ’70s and being stunned that people were actually shackled like that and sold as property. You might read it in history books, but “Roots” really brought it home. There’s been other affecting slavery movies over the years such as “Glory” in 1989 and “Amistad” in 1997. I also liked Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved” but never saw Jonathan Demme’s film based on it.

Despite its brutality, I wouldn’t skip over “12 Years a Slave.” It’s a shattering but courageous story, one that director Steve McQueen has compared in its importance to “The Diary of Anne Frank.” I still plan to read the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup that it’s based on, which is considered one of the best narratives about slavery in the U.S.

What about you: what did you think of the film? And what has been the most affecting movie that you’ve ever seen about slavery?