November 3, 2013
 
Based on the 1853 autobiography by Solomon Northup, the film tells the story of how he was kidnapped in 1841 in Washington, D.C. and forced into slavery for 12 years. While I didn’t particularly care for the direction of the film, with the long, drawn-out scenes, I did enjoy the story and thought the acting was phenomenal. The story is just fantastic, as you really can’t believe someone actually went through it.
 
In 1841, Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), is a free black man living with his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, New York. He is a well-respected, well-educated man. While his wife goes off to work for two weeks, Northup tries to find something to do. He’s introduced to two ‘circus’ men, who offer him a lot of money to travel with them to Washington, D.C. and play in their traveling band, as he makes his living playing violin.
 
The men drug him in D.C. and sell him into slavery. He’s given the name Platt and put on a ship to Louisiana with other slaves. He meets two men, who explain that no matter who he was and what he has, it doesn’t matter now. He should just shut up and do what he’s told. However, the same man that told him this is ‘saved’ by his master as they arrive in Louisiana.
 
From there, Northup is bought by plantation owner William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and put to work on his farm. Of course, throughout his time there, he questions everything and almost tries to talk to Ford about who he really is. However, fellow slaves urge him not to. However, Northup finds a way to show off his skills to Ford, who in turn trusts him more and takes a liking to him, even giving him a violin, much to the dismay of the plantation overseer John Tibeats (Paul Dano). Soon, Northup has had enough and when Tibeats starts a fight with him verbally, he lashes out. After an awkwardly long scene with Northup in a noose, after Tibeats tries to kill him, Ford saves him but realizes he must sell Northup to someone else in order to save his life.
 
Northup is then sold to abusive slave driver Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). Epps is the worst. He beats his slaves if they don’t meet the cotton picking quota daily. And his wife (Sarah Paulsen) has it out for one of the female slaves, Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o), because she knows the woman is the object of her husband’s affections. While on the cotton farm, he meets a man, Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt), a Canadian carpenter, who Northup trusts with his story. With little hope, he asks Bass to contact his friends in New York, who he is sure will rescue him.
 
One day, a sheriff comes to the plantation and asks Northup personal questions to ensure he is who he claims he is. And much to Epps dismay, Northup is removed and sent home to his family.
 
The reunion scene with his family is amazing. A lot has happened in 12 years, and you can just see his pain and their relief and love. As I said, the acting was amazing. You can literally see the internal conflict going on in Ejiofor as Northup. Of course, the whole idea of slaves and how they were treated as property disgusts me, especially disgusting was how Northup, a free man, was not allowed to explain himself and be free again. All because of a skin color.
 
My only complaint about this film was the long, and sometimes awkward, scenes. Some just silent and of Ejiofor or of the scenery. If they cut out those pauses, they could have cut out about 20 minutes from the film, making it just under two hours, instead of the two hours and 13 minutes it runs.
 
Still an amazing story with an amazing cast. I’m just sorry that this actually happened to many people in the 1800s.