Review - 12 Years A Slave (2013)

At the Theater - "12 Years A Slave" - Based on the true story of a free negro and family man living in New York who is abducted and sold into slavery in the Pre-Civil War South, this film is a perfect marriage of breath-taking imagery and an uncannily focused narrative, featuring a powerful original score (courtesy of Hans Zimmer) and a host of outstanding performances. Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Dirty Pretty Things" - if you haven't, you should) is excellent as the film's central protagonist, "Solomon Northup", though Michael Fassbender's despicable plantation owner and Lupita N'Yongo as his unwilling slave mistress will surely leave their mark on the memory. 

This is only the third feature-length film from Director Steve McQueen (Shame, Hunger) and the first film that I've seen from him- I was amazed with the seasoned confidence and delicate artistry on display here, remindful of some of the best work from some of the more accomplished Directors of all time.  Needless to say, I'll be checking out his previous work and will be sure to keep tabs on what he has to offer in the future.

The film features gorgeous cinematography (shot on various modern Louisiana plantations) that works wonderfully with a multitude of commendably authentic-looking set pieces and period-piece costume designs. This is a visual experience that borders on poetic, though it never feels pretentious or heavy-handed (see the last few Terrence Malick films for evidence of the latter).  I found it a refreshingly strange feat that a filmmaker could effectively balance such serious subject matter with striking imagery though never devolve into exploitation or lose sight of the narrative pulse.  This is appropriately tense, involving and heart-wrenching material handled with a high level of respect and integrity- there's plenty within that many will want to turn away from, though I felt it never approached overkill.

Audiences are sure to remember a beautiful sequence featuring a young slave girl fashioning dolls from corn husks and braided blades of grass, a painful scene where a distraught mother is sold away from her two children, an ingenious, poignant shot of a burning letter's dying embers as they disappear into darkness and an uncomfortably long, unflinching segment of a bound individual battling death from a noose on his tiptoes. I felt a great many scenes tugging on the heart-strings while a few sequences made it difficult to breathe.  

Chiwetel Ejiofor's (Inside Man) nuanced performance as the educated carpenter and fiddle player plucked from freedom and dropped into a nightmare drives the film, though it may get lost in the shuffle of bigger, more recognizable names come awards season and that would be some kind of shame. There's a wealth of emotion displayed in the British actor's expressive eyes throughout- he's a highly talented sort that's been a personal favorite of mine for quite some time and it's been a bit disheartening that he hasn't landed more leading roles.

Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) bounces back from two highly forgettable turns in Ridley Scott's last couple of films, Prometheus and The Councelor, to give a searing, hateful performance as the alcoholic psychopath, "Edwin Epps".  I've been of the mindset that the German-Irish star should seek out more villainous roles, with his embodiment of evil here pretty much hammering that home. Sarah Paulson (Mud) is also excellent as his spiteful wife, "Mistress Epps" while most will be stricken with Lupita Nyong'o's  absolutely heartbreaking turn as "Patsey"- it's the 30-year-old actress' feature film debut and should place her in the lead for one of those little golden statues in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness) portrays a relatively good-natured plantation owner, "William Ford", while Paul Dano (Prisoners) yet again supplies a first-rate weasel as an ornery construction worker.  Expect appearances from Paul Giamatti (The Illusionist) as a cold and calculating slave trader, Garret Dillahunt (Looper) as an indebted white slave of dubious character and a delightful Alfre Woodard (Primal Fear) as a plantation owner's Mistress.

My faults with the film-

The passage of time isn't conveyed as well as it could have been- the 12 years on display feels more like a handful to several.  McQueen and the screenwriters should have denoted the passing years in some fashion, if at least presented as onscreen text. Early segments aboard a paddle steamer were choppily edited, perhaps the lone noticeable portion of the film trimmed for run-time concerns.

Lastly, Brad Pitt's appearance in the film's third act, playing a compassionate Canadian carpenter with a detest for slavery, was more of a distraction than a case of homerun stunt casting.  Two young women (the only other patrons of that particular showing) giggled behind me with his introduction- that may have been either due to a general admiration for the "heart-throb" or maybe they also recognized his uneven accent and delivery.  Pitt co-produced the film, yet should have refrained from taking a role in the project- I think it would have been perfect for a veteran, less "of-the-moment" actor.

This is harrowing subject matter concerning the darkest portion of American history, deftly handled without an ounce of schmaltz or forced manipulation- it's also passionate film-making at it's absolute finest and most sincere, remindful of such films as "Schindler's List" and "The Shawshank Redemption". Much like those aforementioned films, there's a number of scenes herein that I'll remember for a lifetime. Anyone that can get through this film without shedding a tear or two (or a few hundred) is some kind of dead inside. 

12 Years A Slave is a powerful emotional journey, grim but highly rewarding, that's almost impossible to enjoy (in the traditional sense).  I would be uncomfortable in labeling it as my favorite of 2013, though I am comfortable in believing it to be the best film of the year, rightfully earning it's place amongst the most important films ever made.  It should be considered as essential viewing. 

9.5 out of 10

Director: Steve McQueen
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Scoot McNairy, Taran Killam, Michael K. Williams, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong'o, Alfre Woodard, Garret Dillahunt, Dwight Henry and Brad Pitt
Run-Time: 134 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for violence/cruelty, some nudity and brief sexuality