Introduction
Reading history books is one way of learning about the past. However, many individuals need visual stimulation to be able to connect with a situation, person, or event that happened hundreds of years ago. Thus, movies based on memoirs or biographies are excellent ways for people to see and comprehend both physically and emotionally something that is challenging to imagine without the audio and video component. However, in order for the historical connotation to be truthful and close to reality, directors have to pay close attention to the source of information. On the other hand, the current trends create an environment in which the movie has to be honest yet captivating, so directors may add different effects or characters without changing the core of the story. An example of a movie that gives the audience the opportunity to percept history is 12 Years a Slave.
Steve McQueen’s film 12 Years of Slave is based on a memoir. The movie portrays the story of Solomon Northup, who is kidnapped as a free African-American living in New York (McQueen). He worked as a musician before two men offered him a job in another state. However, he ends up in a slave pen without anyone believing him about his status as a free man. Solomon is shipped to New Orleans before enduring torture and being sold again to another plantation owner. Edwin Epps is much more ruthless, making Solomon’s life an everyday struggle for survival. A Canadian worker who is a temporary worker at the plantation agrees to send a letter written by Northup to New York. Sometime later, the sheriff and two men, one of which was Solomon’s friend, arrive with the intention to take him home. Solomon reunites with his family and lives as a free man again, this time for the rest of his life. The movie highlights the nuances of slavery, racism, discrimination, and segregation in the 19th-century South.
Why 12 Years a Slave?
The movie was chosen because of the desire to understand the concept of slavery in the US from the perspective of a person who described his personal experiences. The contrast between being a free man and a property that can be sold or bought was the main reason why this particular film appeared to be most complex from a historical, social, and phycological perspective. Thus, 12 Years of Slavery was picked due to the topic that it touches upon, the events that it described, and the story behind the initial source.
Historical Accuracy
The movie is historically accurate due to the fact that it was written by Solomon Northup himself, an African-American man who describes personal experiences in his memoirs. However, researchers point out that certain moments were slightly altered or enhanced to give the film a more contemporary overview as a way to create an emotional response from the viewers (Horton). However, the main events, the characters, and the overall storyline are close to the original book, which makes the film relatively accurate in terms of historical connotation. This enhances the movie because the audience can receive a first-hand experience of the horrendous circumstances which caused the book to be written. Furthermore, individuals who watch movies about such difficult topics as slavery may not make a link between what is shown on the screen and what actually happened. In the context of 12 Years a Slave, such conclusions are impossible to occur due to the reality factor.
Demographic
The movie appeals to a large demographic since it is excellent from two perspectives: historical and artistic. People who would like to learn about US history can watch it to see the state of the country in the 19th century. On the other hand, those who enjoy good cinema go through an emotional roller-coaster even without being interested in the background. Either way, it can be an exceptional experience that cannot leave audience members indifferent.
Negative/Positive Aspects
Based on personal objective and subjective overviews, the film is undoubtedly exceptional. The complex story, the cast, music, decorations, costumes, and the ambiguous feeling left after watching it are among the things that have to be mentioned in regard to some of the best aspects of the movie. In terms of factors to dislike, there is a lack of resistance to the portrayal in contrast with the original novel. Perhaps, the director chose to avoid such emphasis on slave resistance to create an atmosphere of desperation and hopelessness to highlight the main character’s agony, which is an understandable omission from an artistic viewpoint. The film could have been improved if more screen time had been used to show the main character’s life before slavery. It would have emphasized the contrast between freedom and enslavement and highlighted the emotionally challenging shift from being a human to being treated like property. The movie itself also featured the surprising aspect of masters preventing slaves from being knowledgeable, literary, and intelligent when it comes to writing and reading. Although, it is clear that this was done because of the relationship between literacy and freedom. Still, this was a surprising factor that I had not paid attention to before watching the film.
Conclusion
12 Years a Slave is an excellent story that portrays terrible things. It is important to highlight the historical accuracy of the movie, which did not take away from the movie’s captivating, emotional, and heartbreaking nature. The movie is educational without being overly documentary-like, which is a remarkable effect that the director managed to achieve. Overall, I am pleased with the choice to analyze this movie since I had the opportunity to learn more about history while watching an interesting, captivating, dramatic, yet beautiful piece of art.
Works Cited
Horton, Dana Renee. “‘You Will Sell the Negress!”: Using the Post-Neo-Slave Narrative to Revise Representations of Women in Django Unchained and 12 Years a Slave.” Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture (1900-Present), vol. 17, no. 2, 2018.
McQueen, Steve, director. 12 Years a Slave. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2013.