Solomon Northup was a freeborn African-American from New York State and the son of a freed slave.
In 1841, a man with a wife and two young children, Northup was tricked, kidnapped and sold into slavery. It would be 12 years before Northup would be able to escape his slavery.
12 Years a Slave is his story.
We say, “Think the Passion of the Christ, or Schindler’s List, but about slavery.”
TAYLOR: 12 Years a Slave is hard to watch. It’s honest in its sentiment and blunt in its brutality. However, it’s also an excellent film, but don’t go see it because you need a history lesson, or because your curious about the level of depravity humans can achieve. Although you will find these things and they are important to realize, if only for some form of spiritual cathartic penance, or perhaps to instill that history shan’t repeat itself, there are more entertaining reasons to see the film.
It is one of, some would say, the best films of 2013.
HOWE: And I for one would have to totally agree with them. Amazing performances all around, except for Brad Pitt’s five minute cameo. To me he is the weak link in this movie and they should have used someone a little less well known for his role. In the last month we have seen four movies that have been nominated for best picture. All four are worthy winners, but if 12 Years a Slave doesn’t win, I will be floored. It’s an absolutely amazing movie.
TAYLOR: Often the thing that transforms a film into an Oscar contender is its subject matter. Six of the nine films nominated for best picture this year are true stories. Of those six, four were about an individual getting worked over by a system that seems greedy, barbarous and cruel. Guilt movies, if I may, come into fashion when a society wishes to express its discontent artistically. Thus, we’ve had quite a few over the last few years. Now, odds are you are not someone who thinks slavery was a great nation builder, so don’t go to 12 Years a Slave because you feel you have to take your medicine. See it because it’s shot on film, instead of video. See it because it’s authentic. See it because Chiwetel Ejiofor (Solomon Northup) deserves his Oscar nomination. See it because this truly is a film that shows you its story, rather than tells you its story. See it because studios are watching this film carefully, to see if blunt, honest, true, uncomfortable films of quality can make money in North America and by paying for your ticket, you might actually be helping America produce more films like this, rather than the usual schlock we are subjected to.
See it because it deserves to be seen.
— Taylor gives 12 Years a Slave 5 rage tears out of 5.
—Howe gives it 5 dollar coins out of 5.
The film is currently playing at the Galaxy Cinemas in Vernon.
– Brian Taylor and Peter Howe are film reviewers based in Vernon, B.C. Their column runs every Friday and Sunday in The Morning Star.
