In my opinion, 12 Years a Slave is one of the best representations of life in America for a slave, as a factual account of Solomon Northup’s time in slavery, from his perspective. There are many other films around that are touch on the issue of slavery and servitude of black Americans, such as the 2011 movie adaptation of The Help. However, this is the first of its kind looking at the issue directly from the perspective of an African American, who actually had to live the harsh life of being a slave. I believe that because of the perspective of the film, it shows a great step forward in terms of accepting the horror of the history of the US. This must be the first film about African-American slavery that has truly had an impact on me, and the same probably goes for many others, who, for the first time, have seen the American slave trade exposed for it’s true nature.
One of the first thing that shocks me in the film is the nature by which the African American slaves are treated. It is as though they are thought of as lesser beings by the slave-owners and sellers, like animals. This can be seen through the way in which they are sold to new owners, stripped of their clothes, and forced to stand naked in front of the judging eyes of slave traders, who have are seen to show no care about splitting up a family. When Solomon arrives with Eliza and the other slaves at the plantation, the mistress says ‘with a little rest and sleep, your children will soon be forgotten’, which I think is very significant, as it goes to show just how little the white people in the south thought of the slaves. From this, it can be seen that the slave-traders want to degrade the slaves as much as possible by treating them no better than cattle at an auction. Throughout the film, Solomon is seen to have a truly awful experience as a slave, violence and cruelty aside, the living conditions are dreadful, with men, women and children sharing what can barely be called living quarters. The standard of the quarters can very much be likened to that of a stable, with no beds, or anything that would give the slaves any kind of comfort.
However, throughout the account, Solomon does not lose hope that he will one day be free, this is first seen when he attempts to confide in his kindest overseer, William Ford, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Solomon is also given a fiddle by Ford, which is evidence that not all slave owners were awful people, like Epps is shown to be in the film. Ford is the only slave-owner who appears to show compassion and kindness towards his slaves, and this can be seen through the way that his slaves are able to laugh together, without fear of being beaten. Though this point still stands, it can not be ignored that despite his kindness, Ford is still unable to help Solomon regain the freedom he is rightfully owed, and ultimately is not distancing himself from the slave trade by actually owning slaves, and participating in the trade. On Ford’s plantation, his slaves are seen to be accustomed to the violence that goes on around them. One of the most powerful scenes in the entire movie is when Solomon is left hanging by the masters, barely being able to touch the ground, and though one of the other slaves gives him water, they do not even attempt to help him, and go about their work as normal. This could either be evidence of the slaves having become nonchalant in regards to situations like this, or it could have been that they felt if they tried to help Solomon, they would end up the same for going against their master.
The film does not hold back at all when it comes to the violence and cruelty that Solomon was forced to endure on the various plantations. Right from the first moment we see Solomon as a slave, the language used is not only harsh but unnecessarily cruel, followed by the unforgiving brutality of his first captor, of which is certainly enough to make anyone watching the film wince. This is something that carries on for the duration of the film, with Solomon’s encounter with his master, who is never happy with the work Solomon carries out, resulting in him almost being hanged, to him being forced to mercilessly beat Patsey by Epps, in his final plantation. In these scenes, not once is the focus averted from the reality of what is happening, and what actually happened according to Solomon. Though the overseers are portrayed as unforgiving and cold-hearted towards the slaves, and perhaps a bit far-fetched for effect, the ferocity of the actions carried out, is so much so that it is enough to make the audience realise that this was the kind of thing that actually happened to slaves, quite probably, on a regular occasion.
This unblinking portrayal of slavery is so significant as it does not shy away from the truth, and because of this Steve McQueen has created a truly remarkable film, that really makes you think, and personally, I found my self finding it hard to actually comprehend the events of the film, such as how the slave owners appeared to have so little humanity. McQueen has made a film that has a long lasting impact on its audience, with the unflinching visualisation of the horrifying reality that was the American slave trade.
‘What is true and right is true and right for all, white and black alike’ -quote from Bass
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