12 Years a Slave
12 Years a Slave is the harrowing story about Solomon Northup (Chiwitel Ejiofor), a free black man living in New York who makes a living by playing the violin. He lives with his wife and two kids and leads a happy life. One day, two men come to him asking about Solomon playing his violin at an event in Washington D.C. for two weeks. Next thing he knows, he is drugged and kidnapped and placed in a slave pen. He is transported to New Orleans where he is sold to plantation owner William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) after impressing him with his violin skills. Ford is a kind owner who holds church for the slaves and even presents Northup with his own violin after Northup comes up with a quicker way for slaves to travel to the plantation across a swamp. However, tensions rise between Ford's carpenter John Tibeats (Paul Dano) and Northup where Tibeats tries to beat Northup but Northup overpowers him and beats him. Tibeats plans to retaliate which causes Ford to sell Northup to another slave owner to protect him. Northup is transported to his new slave master's home. Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender) is an alcoholic and cruel slave master who believes that it is his biblical right to abuse his slaves. Epps gives his slaves a certain amount of cotton to pick and if they fail to reach the amount he says, he beats them. He is sexually attracted to a slave by the name of Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) and regularly rapes her. 12 Years a Slave is the journey of Solomon Northup and his story of being a slave for 12 years.
No film can match the brutality shown in 12 Years a Slave. It shows truly how life was in the South in 1840's. All actors are truly phenomenal. Chiwitel Ejiofor shows the pain that Solomon Northup felt then and Michael Fassbender reunites with director Steve McQueen, who directed him in Hunger and the masterful film Shame, to bring the scariest role onto the screen in William Ford. He is brutal and disturbing to see. Michael Fassbender plays this role like no one else possibly can.
While Saving Private Ryan is shown in history classes to show the horrors of World War II, 12 Years a Slave should definitely be shown to show the horrors of slavery. Unlike The Butler and Django Unchained this movie is based on a true story, which adds to its brutality. It is uncomfortable to watch this movie but that's how it should be. This film definitely deserved to win Best Picture because it shows a horrible time in American history that couldn't have been told any other way. Steve Mcqueen tackled the hunger strikes in Ireland in Hunger and sexual addiction in Shame and he continues his streak of amazing films with 12 Years a Slave. This should be mandatory viewing for all Americans so they know our history in as brutal and truthful as possible.
