12 Years a Slave
“12YearsASlave’s Chiwetel Ejiofor is nominated for #BESTACTOR at the #AcademyAwards!” Chiwetel Ejiofor wins an Academy Award for best Actor in the compelling film “12 Years A Slave” written by John Ridley and directed by the British director Steve McQueen. The film also won Oscars for best Picture and actress Lupita Nyong’o won best supporting actress for the film, as well as best adapted screenplay. The film went on to win several other notable accolades, such as the Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics Choice, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Producers Guild Awards, Independent Spirit Awards and others.
With the film’s budget set at $22 million, the film was a box office sensation grossing over $187.7 million dollars. With Production companies, Summit Entertainment, River Road Entertainment, Brad Pitt‘s Plan B Entertainment, New Regency Enterprises and Film4 Productions working in tandem, as to which they received distribution from Fox Searchlight Pictures in the US and Lionsgate in the internationally.
A lot can be said about this film, it focuses on a African-Americans in the days of slavery, but Solomon Northup is not really a slave. He gets caught up at a plantation and is forced into slavery, however he really doesn’t know how to act like a slave. He is refined, dignified and he knows that he’s somebody. Something that is unheard of in the days and times of slavery. It could be depicted as the opposite of Roots, however the subject matter is the same, the outcome is very different. He opposes the oppressor in different ways because that’s all he knows. He takes risks that no one would ever conceive fearlessly, but this comes at a price. The film is an adaptation of a book of the same name, written by Solomon Northup himself. An autobiography, published in 1853 by Derby & Miller, Auburn, New York. One would begin to wonder what Mr. Northup would say about the film. Did the film come close to his vision of his own life story, did Chiwetel Ejiofor the talented British actor play his role in the best light, and did casting do the best job they possibly could. Well given the outcome at the box office, and the Academy choosing to recognize this film’s efforts, it was obviously well received, hopefully Mr. Northup would also concur this notion.
It is a 2013 historical drama film and an adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., in 1841 and sold into slavery. Northup worked on plantations in the state of Louisiana for twelve years before his release. The first scholarly edition of Northup’s memoir, co-edited in 1968 by Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon, carefully retraced and validated the account and concluded it to be accurate. Other characters in the film were also real people, including Edwin and Mary Epps, and Patsey. Read More… Wikipedia.org
This film is most important because it makes us all take a look at ourselves, slavery was based on hate, fear, and ignorance, all negative traits that America or American history has seen no matter what century. It relates directly to today’s times and even though it’s just entertainment, it’s also very thought provoking and compelling. It dives in directly into social issues regarding class distinction and association. How you act, think and sound directly reflects who you are. Solomon Northup knew who he was and no one could change that, not even the culture of slavery.
Through the lens of this film, social consciousness is heightened and audience members tend to think what are we doing as a race of people. What are we doing treating human beings this way, how can we turn this thing called hate into love. Love of humanity, love of family, love of ourselves. This is what this film highlights. The collective of Hollywood also recognized this emotional rollercoaster ride and gave this movie its due respect. It should be duly noted that this film is especially hard to watch for African-Americans, one would need to be in the right frame of mind when watching because the black community knows how it feels, not slavery per se but how one is treated with respect, or lack there of truly hurts.
This film is also truly difficult to watch from the stand point of no one should feel this type of way. No one should feel this type of pain, but through it all, Solomon Northup survives and that too matters. With this film one is forced to recognize the past, which has a direct bearing on Americas future, either the issues with this disease called hate continues, or we fix the problem immediately with dialogue. Realizing we are all part of same planet, and part of the same species no matter what color.
It would just take a little more effort for filmmakers to think outside the box, and create more compelling films like these based off other topics. Not just the slave themed type of movie. 12 Years a Slave is a must see for everyone, it’s a truly great film. But the fact that slavery is a part of American history is not a good reason to exploit it, one should learn from it and never forget the message, but now is the time to create future films with a contemporary tone because slavery has been over since the emancipation proclamation.
Just think, what if Solomon Northup’s children, and children’s children had a compelling story, is it not worthy of an Academy Award. Within these days and times of modern issues of racism, creating these types of motion pictures has the power to a call to action a spark that could create a fix for a long awaited solution. These modern-day issues with race in America must be addressed, within this 21st Century, and that too is a part of the creation of the Entertainment Equals Diversity formula.
This is no fiction, no exaggeration. If I have failed in anything, it has been in presenting to the reader too prominently the bright side of the picture. I doubt not hundreds have been as unfortunate as myself; that hundreds of free citizens have been kidnapped and sold into slavery, and are at this moment wearing out their lives on plantations… -Solomon Northup, 1853, Twelve Years a Slave Read More…