12 Years a Slave, a biographical drama/history film directed by Steve McQueen that came out in 2013, is about a free black man,
Solomon Northup, from upstate New York that is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. He experiences cruelty from one
malevolent owner and he also finds unexpected kindness from another as he struggles to survive and maintain the dignity he has left.
This movie has many phenomenal actors/actresses including Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup, Micheal Fassbender as Epps,
Lupita Nyong’o as Patsey, Brad Pitt as Bass, Paul Dano as Tibeats, Benedict Cumberbatch as Ford, and Sarah Paulson as
Mrs.Epps. Rotten Tomateometer rated this a 95% with top critic stating,”It’s far from comfortable viewing, but 12 Years a Slave’s
unflinchingly brutal look at American slavery is also brilliant — and quite possibly essential — cinema.” I would have to agree with this
statement because I think that this movie really captivates your attention towards its powerful and serious art that not only teaches
the message of slave trade, but also flows with a message of solitude in the midst of multitude. I also think that the actors did a
wonderful job at portraying their role. They had the confidence to take upon such difficult roles that were very hard to watch because
they were so convincing and had a way of connecting to the audience that you have sympathy for them. After watching this film you
will feel deeply moved and depressed. I recommend this movie 10/10 because this film offers a panorama, showing you the history of
what slaves went through. Though it is not an easy film to watch, I feel it is a very important one.