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12 Years a Slave (2013)'s comments - page 3
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Comments 31 - 38 of 38
Siskoid
12 Years a Slave is pretty much what you expect it to be. Like all slavery and Holocaust movies, it's a harrowing horror show, filled with injustice and indignities, building awareness about a shared dark history, but in this case, though it is a true story based on a book written by its protagonist in the mid-19th Century, a free black man kidnapped, taken South and sold into slavery, it's also a film about one man's endurance and tenacity. I do find problems with it, however. The leads are great, but their characters flatten out over time, with little nuance or evolution. Or perhaps this is the result of director Steve McQueen not tracking those 12 years very well. Events could indeed happen over just 2 or 3. Only the fact Solomon Northup's family members have aged and grown up by the time he rejoins them tells that tale. You don't feel it during the film. Smaller parts are even as well served, accents are all over the place, and what I imagine is dialog straight out of the book sounds stilted and strange. The story IS worthy of course, and where McQueen shows brilliance is in his images, editing and sound design. He creates beautiful atmospheres, uses interminable takes to put his point across, uses the landscape to contrast the horror... Strong film making. I just wish every other aspect did the subject matter justice as ably.senorroboto
It's very moving, the cinematography is excellent. I thought that the progression of Solomon as he went from struggling to merely resigning himself to his fate was devastating and very well done. The star-studded cast teetered on distracting but everyone played their parts admirably.kayjay027
I absolutely agree that Steve McQueen's camera positions, angles and movements were absolutely what made the film. The acting was good, but not oscar worthy; the story (albeit it a true one) showed the physical horrors of slavery perfectly; yet, the emotional? Not so much. It is the first movie I have seen that will be up for Best Picture, and I have a feeling there are much better choices out there.BadFluffy
Somehow I was disappointed. The characters stay as thin as they first appear, including the protagonist. In the end, it all feels like a dry recital of facts, a vague journal of the abomination that is slavery but without any real human emotion or insight to it.Scratch47
I find this film difficult to talk about as the cumulative effects have stuck themselves into a deep personal place in my gut and I wouldn't be able to comment on it properly without first getting some time and distance, but will try, needless to say, this film is a masterpiece. Ejiofor, Fassbender and Nyong'o will all get their due rewards. The constituent technical elements, though excellent, play second fiddle to the constant threat and brutality, and the camera eye is almost invisible. I was weeping like a baby towards the end, in a scene of punishment that starts at 'shocking' and ends at 'Satanic wretchedness against the innocent'. What is more remarkable is that this isn't a film of agenda or judgement. This film doesn't seek attention but nonetheless demands it: McQueen's not inserting his belief systems as a lens, but instead, through a minimal, plain, narrative, clears dust away to let the horrors in. By playing the film mainly as an emotional experience, he invites the audience to plumb the depths of their own accumulated, frustrated horror. You cannot 'make up in your mind' some of the things you will be confronted with whilst watching this movie. You must face the brutal truth, a response that comes from deep within the heart and doesn't give you a chance to fake it. In today's world of a disgusting sophistry designed to conceal such truths, this is no small achievement. Bravo.jamesmcavoy
Honestly I was kind of disappointed with this film. Yes, the story is horrifying (in a good, REAL way), and the acting was okay (not as mindblowing as I had heard it was going to be), but the title is kind of misleading... it felt like 12 days/months a slave rather than 12 years. It felt rushed while at the same time being rather long, if that makes sense? Basically the passing of time felt unnatural. At the end I almost wondered how the hell Solomon had managed to stay 12 yearsMrDoog
Eh Mr Zimmer you're supposed to write new music not just reheat your Inception rift in a completely different type of film.Ressa
Very good cinematography and directing. This is truly a fine film. However I do not think it is a masterpiece. It is raw, beautiful and brutal but there is a lack of development in characters which left me irritated. No doubt impressive performances by Ejiofor and Fassbender, but unfortunately for them, their characters and talents doesn't get challenged enough. So even though they put up very good performances you kind of feel like they got away with it easy. Which is too bad. There is to much "look how slavery was on the outside" instead of telling us the story through the characters and their development.Before I sound too grumpy I will say that its definitely one of the better films this year.
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