Asking me if I
liked 12 Years a Slave is like asking someone if they enjoyed Lolita. No, I do
not enjoy reading about a pedophile’s love for a young girl, and no I did not
enjoy watching the incredibly graphic physical, mental and emotional torture of
the slaves in this movie. Yet Lolita is an incredible work of fiction. But does
12 Years a Slave bring the same kind of shocking yet undeniable artistic value?
I’m not sure.
It is not the
first, nor will it be the last movie to deal with the topic of the slave trade
in America. In the last year alone, movies like Lincoln and Django Unchained
tackled the same issue, although undoubtedly from a different perspective. The
shocking difference between all of its predecessors is that the main character,
Solomon Northup, was a free man. He was successful and educated, therefore he
has the crippling hope of a better life instilled in him. As he says, in what
is arguably the most quotable line of the movie: “I don’t want to survive, I want to live”.
For the other slaves in his surroundings, even death is better than the hell on
earth that their lives have been since birth, but they have never known any better.
The movie
exposes the harsh truths about slavery in disturbing detail. In one scene,
Solomon is hung inches from the ground and is shown for what feels like several
minutes, desperately reaching for footing in order not to choke. The apathy of
the other slaves going about their work in the background is disconcerting.
This is one of many similarly painful scenes, and although they undoubtedly
achieve a certain emotional effect, I felt that the movie walked a fine line
between powerful images and pointlessly graphic violence.
However, 12 Years a Slave did carry one exceptionally
important message; when it comes to civil rights, there is no midway
and there are no half-truths. Throughout the movie, there are several characters who sympathize with Solomon;
he is after all an intelligent,
likeable man with a considerable gift for music. Yet every step he takes forward, through
various favors from plantation owners, eventually
sets him back two steps. To those who do not have freedom no act of kindness great or
small is good enough. The only act that
matters is giving their freedom back. The Canadian laborer Samuel
Bass, played by Brad Pitt, is one of the few
characters in the movie, who does not excuse racial inequality, and is not afraid to stand up for his
beliefs. Therefore he is the only one that can help Solomon.
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| IMDB |
The superb acting and cinematography of
the movie ensures its
position in this year’s Oscar race, but whether it will
stand the test
of time as a true classic, is questionable.
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