A GREAT MOVIE TO SEE DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
12 Years a Slave (film)
| 12 Years a Slave | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Steve McQueen |
| Screenplay by | John Ridley |
| Based on | Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sean Bobbitt |
| Edited by | Joe Walker |
| Music by | Hans Zimmer |
Production companies | |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 134 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $20–22 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $187.7 million[2] |
12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical period-drama film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by John Ridley, based on the 1853 slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, about a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two conmen in 1841 and sold into slavery. Northup was put to work on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before being released. 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.[4]
Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup. Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, Lupita Nyong'o, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Alfre Woodard feature in supporting roles. Principal photography took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from June 27 to August 13, 2012. The locations used were four historic antebellum plantations: Felicity, Bocage, Destrehan, and Magnolia. Of the four, Magnolia is nearest to the actual plantation where Northup was held.
12 Years a Slave received widespread critical acclaim and was named the best film of 2013 by several media outlets and critics, and it earned over $187 million on a production budget of $22 million. The film received nine Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay for Ridley, and Best Supporting Actress for Nyong'o. The Best Picture win made McQueen the first black British producer to ever receive the award and the first black British director of a Best Picture winner.[5][6] The film was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts recognized it with the BAFTA Awards for Best Film and Best Actor for Ejiofor.[7] The film was later named the 44th greatest film since 2000 in a BBC poll of 177 critics in 2016.[8]
Solomon Northup is a free African-American man in 1841, working as a violinist and living with his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, New York. Two white men, Brown and Hamilton, offer him short-term employment as a musician in Washington, D.C.; however, they drug Northup and deliver him to a slave pen. Northup proclaims his freedom, only to be savagely beaten.
Northup is shipped to New Orleans along with other captives. He is told by the others that if he wants to survive in the South, he must adapt. A slave trader named Theophilus Freeman gives Northup the identity of "Platt", a runaway slave from Georgia, and sells him to plantation owner William Ford. Ford takes a liking to Northup and gives him a violin. Growing tension between Northup and plantation carpenter John Tibeats finally breaks when Northup physically defends himself from Tibeats and beats him with his own whip. Tibeats and his men prepare to lynch Northup, but they are stopped by the plantation overseer. Northup is left on tiptoes with the noose around his neck for hours before Ford arrives and cuts him down. To save Northup's life, Ford sells him to Edwin Epps. In the process, Northup attempts to explain his situation, but Ford does not help him.
Epps is ruthless and sadistic. Northup meets Patsey, a favored slave and Epps' top cotton picker. Epps regularly rapes Patsey while his wife abuses and humiliates her out of jealousy. Some time later, cotton worms destroy Epps' crops, so he leases his slaves to a neighboring plantation for the season. Northup gains the favor of the plantation's owner, Judge Turner, who allows him to play the fiddle at a neighbor's wedding anniversary celebration and to keep his earnings. When Northup returns to Epps, he uses the money to pay a white field hand and former overseer, Armsby, to mail a letter to his friends in New York. Armsby agrees and accepts Northup's saved money, but immediately betrays him. A drunken Epps questions Northup at knifepoint, and Northup is narrowly able to convince Epps that Armsby is lying and Epps relents. Afterwards, Northup mournfully burns the letter to prevent Epps from finding it. Some time later, Patsey is caught by Epps going to a neighboring plantation in order to acquire soap, as Mrs. Epps will not let her have any. In retaliation, Epps orders Northup to whip Patsey. Rather than risk harm to himself, Northup accepts but Epps demands he strike her harder, eventually taking the whip from Northup, and nearly whips Patsey to death. Enraged, Northup destroys his violin.
Northup begins working on the construction of a gazebo with a Canadian laborer Samuel Bass. Disturbed by Epps' open cruelty towards his slaves, Bass, citing his Christianfaith, expresses his opposition to slavery and castigates Epps, earning Epps' enmity. Northup overhears the conversation and decides to reveal his kidnapping to Bass. Once again, Northup asks for help in sending his letter. Although Bass is hesitant at first because of the risk, he agrees. Not long after, the local sheriff arrives and Northup recognizes the sheriff's companion as Mr. Parker, a shopkeeper he knew in New York. As they embrace, an enraged Epps furiously protests and tries to prevent Northup from leaving only to be rebuffed. Northup bids an emotional farewell to Patsey and rides off to his freedom.
Northup returns to reconnect with his wife with their fully grown son, daughter, and his daughter's husband. He is presented with his grandson and namesake, Solomon Northup Staunton. Northup tearfully apologizes for his long absence while his family comforts him. The film's epilogue titles recount: Northup's unsuccessful suits against Brown, Hamilton, and Burch; the 1853 publication of Northup's slave narrative memoir, Twelve Years a Slave; describes his role in the abolitionist movement; and the absence of any information surrounding the details of his death and burial.
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