'12 Years A Slave'

Movies began as a way to help people forget. They walked into a dark room to leave behind their hard lives and lose themselves in moving pictures.

Most movies these days seem hell-bent on making us remember. And rarely are the portrayals of pleasant events.

“12 Years a Slave” wastes no time transporting the audience into one of the worst times in human history.

It is a story based on the book written by the main and title character, Solomon Northup. Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a free black man in the antebellum era of the United States. He is a professional violinist with a wife and two kids, living a comfortable life in Saratoga, N.Y.

Northup meets two men who convince him to travel to Washington for a gig. During a post-performance celebration dinner, Northup drinks too much. He is put to sleep in a bed and wakes up with shackles on his wrists.

Northup is hurled into slavery, forced to learn to relinquish his pride, while retaining his dignity in the custody of several masters, some kind and some cruel.

His first master, William Ford, is one of the former. Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a plantation owner in New Orleans. Northup gets along with Ford, but after a scuffle with an overseer Ford sells Northup in order to save his life.

Edwin Epps isn’t as kind. According to Ford he is known as a “slave breaker.” Epps (Michael Fassbender) is a harsh cotton plantation owner. He believes his right to abuse slaves is more than law; it’s biblical.

By the time Canadian carpenter Bass (Brad Pitt) arrives, Northup looks ready to give up. But when he hears Bass express his aversion toward slavery Northup scrapes up the courage to tell Bass his story. Bass sympathizes with Northup and agrees to carry a letter north on his behalf, leading to Northup’s rescue.

This film is full of powerful scenes that leave you trembling. One of the most climatic scenes is when Northup is forced to whip Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o), a fellow slave. The thick crack of the whip, the increasing agony in Patsey’s cries and the disgust in Northup’s face create a moment so tangible you can’t help flinching in your seat every time Northup raises his arm.

There is no doubt that Northup’s spirit is broken, and Ejiofor portrays that change brilliantly, from his posture to his eyes.

One almost feels sympathy for Fassbender’s role. He plays a racist, a rapist and a sadist, and the skill in which he portrays his part is almost disconcerting.

Director Steve McQueen has created a masterpiece. He didn’t shy away from a single aspect of slavery, and he didn’t try to soften it with humor or ridiculous effects. He stayed true and raw and as a result has created what will be known as one of the most emotionally and physically painful films to ever be seen.

You sympathize with every drop of blood running down their backs at the kiss of a whip. Every tear that hits your cheek is well worth it.