Review: 12 Years a Slave

4/4

I am typically not "into" Best Picture winners or nominees in the recent era. They lack substance, and only have a concept behind them. A concept the Academy likes for this grandiose award. But 12 Years a Slave is great and powerful: that is undeniable.

Steve McQueen takes on slavery with the right perspective. He focuses on one man's journey into and out of loss. He makes it personal. Rather than focusing on Solomon's days of fame and success as a lecturer and familyman, we see him completely alone. As his own person. A portrait is so much stronger when it portrays a character alone, rather than with respect to those around him.

McQueen and screenwriter Ridley also utilize the strengths of anti-hollywood film to depict a hollywood-type topic. This makes all the difference. The conventions of slavery film are broken by the philosophical tilt of the dialogue, and also by the fact that the story is taken from true life. The artistic philosophy of McQueen's direction is so far beyond that of most directors, if it weren't for the grand acting and major topic it would feel like a fully independent picture.

The characters are terrific here:

Solomon is strong-willed and righteous, but put in such an existentially brutal situation, even he must occasionally question the laws of morality.

Michael Fassbender is weak and disgusting. In my belief it is just to blame him for the stupidity that doesn't allow him to see morality clearly. Hannah Arendt doesn't convict the Holocaust Nazis because they were nurtured to be what they were. I think that surely there is a factor of free will, although it is hard to reject the idea that any one of us would become a Nazi or a slaveowner if put in the right situation.

Paul Dano is like Fassbender: he is the height of despicable. That's the word that the producers must have based their writing and casting around. He is as he is in There Will Be Blood. It is a terrific character, and he plays it perfectly.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the man who knows what's right, but says that he must consciously give way to the system anyways. Though we don't feel it, he is probably just as despicable a slaveowner as Fassbender or Dano--possibly even more.

Brad Pitt is the possibly unrealistic man who knows what's right and does something about it despite being in the perfect situation to know and do wrong. You would expect the savior to be a hurt fellow, but what would be more realistic than a true story? I still love to see this charcter because of the way he speaks, acts, and because of who the actor is.

McQueen's great fusion of hollywood and indie is what makes this Best Picture winner special from the rest. It is beautiful, poetic, and a dialogue on ethics.