The Best film of 2013: 12 Years a Slave --a movie review by Michael L. Mike Johnson I squeezed in to see 12 Years a Slave at the Majestic Theater in Silver Spring at a 9:00 p.m. show last night. Literally, every seat was taken. I love that feeling, and the one that came before it, of waiting a long line with the expectation of seeing a great film. I wasnt disappointed. (Incidentally, if you are planning to see this movie, which I highly recommend, I strongly suggest you either order your tickets online, or get to the movie house early to buy them. This film is a hit, and the chances of it being sold out if you wait to get tickets close to show-time is great.) Synopsis: Solomon Northup, was a free black man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery. He worked on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before his release. The film 12 Years a Slave is a fictionalized adaptation of his 1853 autobiography (by the same name). It is, quite frankly, a remarkable movie. The Good: The movie was written by John Ridley, directed by Steve McQueen, and produced in part by Brad Pitt, who has a small but important role in the story. (Big respect to Pitt, who always seems to use his celebrity to aid the interest of good things.) It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (as Northup), Michael Fassbender (as as Edwin Epps, a cruel plantation owner), Lupita Nyongo (as Patsey, a slave on the Epps plantation) and many others, in a stellar cast. All of their performances are Oscar worthy. Nyongo, a Kenyan actress and filmmaker, who makes her film debut in this picture, steals the show. Arguably, Hollywood has only produced two cinematic efforts that come close to depicting the horrors of slavery. The first episode of Alex Haleys Roots was one, and now 12 Years a Slave is another. Nothing else comes close. This movie is so honest, and so believable, on the subject of slavery that it really hits home (and hits a film-making home run). As a black man, that was especially true for me. What McQueen has done is to bring a very real glimpse of the holocaust of slavery to the big screen. I could not help but watch 12 Years... and not be haunted by my ancestors suffering. As a student of history, the feeling I got in the witness of this film was not unlike the hurt that strikes me when I think of what Jewish people endured at the hands of the Nazis. The historic parallels are between the two atrocities are significant, specifically with regard to the casual practice of murder. Facilitators of slavery represent Americas Nazi party and the killing fields of plantations were my ancestors gas chambers. That any human being could inflict an evil as evil as slavery upon another human being is a fact that astounds me. Another fact that staggers me is that it has taken almost 40 years (since Roots) for Hollywood to make a film that accurately offers a window into the holocaust of slavery. (Then again, I am not surprised. I know where I live. They gave Quentin Tarantino an Oscar for his Amos and Andy/ Django script.) Make no mistake about it. 12 Years a Slave is the best picture of 2013, and it should win an Oscar as such. Its acting performances are equally brilliant, and should also sweep on that front (particularly Lupita Nyongo work). However, whether that happens or not, it already has my vote. As an aside, I must give dap once againg to Lee Daniels for The Butler. It is also a great film. However, 12 Years a Slave is better. The most important question: Is it a good film? Yes! 12 Years a Slave is more than good. It is a historic achievement in movie-making. The horror of American slavery is presented with the honesty of a Schindlers List, to be sure. If you get a chance to see it, tears will likely fall, as mind did. The Bad: This movie should be playing in wider release. At this writing, it is only playing at three theaters in the DMV. Shameful. The Rating: On a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 is the most high, 5 is my rating, all day long. --MLJ
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 22:11:39 +0000
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