Solomon Unchained: Review of 12 Years A Slave

12 Years A Slave

Director: Steve McQueen

By Alex Watson

Steve McQueen will forever hold a place in history on this blog as it was his movie Shame that became the first ever movie reviewed here! Well this week I returned to the place where it all started, at the Cornerhouse cinema in Manchester to watch his new piece of cinema, 12 Years A Slave. Based on the true story Solomon Northrup, this again will make for tough yet compelling viewing!

Born a free man, Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a talented violin player living with his wife and children in Saratoga, New York. But when he approached by two ‘entertainers’ who lure him to Washington in the promise of a lucrative gig! Only he then finds himself drugged and sold into a life of slavery! Facing great hardship, Solomon must learn to think smart to stay alive, particularly when facing his cruel master Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).

12 Years A Slave is movie that deserves the unanimously positive praise that has been heaped upon it, and in the hands of McQueen we are given a fascinating look a man literally stripped of his identity and cast into a terrifying new world! But those expecting an uplifting and rousing tale of the human spirit need to be prepared for a few shocks, as McQueen demonstrates the full barbarity of slave life, and for this no stone is left un-turned. In one particularly horrific scene, we see Solomon semi lynched and left to hang from a tree for several minutes while several people come and go!

The life of Solomon is a bruising tale and this is made obvious when he wakes up in shackles after being tricked by the two entertainers, shortly after this while protesting his freedom, he finds himself being slapped by a slave trader (Paul Giamatti) and told his name is now ‘Platt’. Life initially life is good under his first kindly master, Paul Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), who seems to relish his knowledge and gives more duties to him. But when a ‘disagreement’ with racist carpenter Jimmy (Paul Dano) turns nasty, his life is thrown into turmoil!

From here, 12 Years A Slave is given a dramatic shake up by the introduction of the heinous ‘slave breaker’ Edwin Epps, a slave owner who sees it as his biblical right to flog his slaves, which in one disturbingly memorable scene is shown to us, and we view the bloody effects it has soon the human body! For this the head honcho takes pride in his work! Epps is a highly complex man, with a severe drinking problem and a fiery temper! But he seems to have immense compassion for slave girl Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o), which continually puts him at odds with his jealous wife (Sarah Paulson). Solomon soon learns that to survive this man, he must play dumb to stay alive!

In the midst of all the harsh realities, McQueen does inject occasional moments of beauty with such simple thing like shots of the surrounding New Orleans swamp lands. But ending given is wonderfully under played and McQueen opts for as less sentiment as possible and the intense close up on the pained expression of Solomon us worth more than any grandiose speech that could have been prepared!

Performance wise, Chiwetel Ejiofor is given a role that finally allows him to shine as a leading actor and after years of being capable supporting folly in movies like Inside Man and Love Actually, Ejiofor effortlessly carries the movie and becomes its emotional soul!

Michael Fassbender earns top honours in the supporting category and his role as monstrous slaver Epps is scene stealingly brilliant. But more skillfully, Fassbender gives the man a thinly veiled sense of humanity amidst his racist self hating. But its newcomer Lupita Nyong’o who really steals our hearts as the tormented Patsey who throughout shows an immense commitment to her role and seems odds on to be a favourite comes awards ! Also Brad Pitt crops up in a brief but very relevant appearance as Canadian abolitionist Saul.

It may some times be a tough sell, but 12 Years A Slave is one of the more fervidly emotional and real dramas we are likely to view in 2014 and thankfully in the hands of McQueen and Ejiofor, we are given a journey to remember- maybe see you again at the Cornerhouse Steve? Though I need a word about your reaction to my Hunger question!

Fire on Babylon: Review of Mississippi Burning

Classic from the Vault

Mississippi Burning (1988)

Director: Alan Parker

By Alex Watson

Many films have explored the effects of racist cultures and the fierce outcomes of narrow minded idealism. Pictures such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Cry Freedom and A Time to Kill, demonstrated this. But few have truly delved into the soul of what causes the problem, and what influenced people to take up these opinions? The human soul’s nature is un-predictable, and it can take us to incredibly dark places! One film brings these questions to light, is Alan Parker’s film Mississippi Burning. A film based around a real FBI investigation that occurred in 1964.

The story follows the investigation of two FBI agents; charismatic Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) and straight laced Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe). The pair are investigating the disappearance of three civil rights workers in Jessup County, Mississippi. From the moment they arrive, they are given a hostile reception from both the law officials and the townspeople.  As their investigation continues, tensions increase between the local Ku Klux Klan members and the town’s African American population, leading to many violent situations! Also the two agents are facing difficulties due to their vastly different approaches to solving the case. But it becomes clear to Ward and Anderson must work together to bring down the people involved!

Mississippi Burning’s tension is made apparent from the start, the opening shot displays a church being burned to the ground!  With the pulsating, electronic score by Trevor Jones, we feel the heat rising between the KKK and black population. The retaliations each time are more brutal than the last and this feeling of fear never relents. Through Alan Parker’s direction, we are brought into the heart of darkness- a world filled with cruelty and burning crosses. In Jessup County, they are threatened by the presence of outsiders. Because of this they stick to the old values bestowed upon them, and will even kill to keep their society decent. God has long since departed, and now there is no one to pray to!

The morality of what the town’s people are doing is always in question. The audience knows this isn’t an ordinary missing person’s case. The three men have been murdered in the opening moments of the film! This sequence is hidden from us as the opening credits roll, from behind them we hear the mocking laughter of people involved as the horrific deed is carried out. This moment, displays the inhumanity of man and how sinister the soul can be.

The narrative of Mississippi Burning is bolstered by the teaming of the two agents. From the very start they are problems between them. Ward is naive and inexperienced in the field, and therefore is accustomed to procedure. Anderson however, is a former Sheriff from a town in Mississippi. As knows the ways of the old country, he realizes these murderers cannot be broken by rules. Their investigation is faulted by Ward’s liberal approach, people are afraid to talk and when they do, the consequences are severe! It’s only when Anderson’s more ruthless methods take over that investigation makes progress. Although they are not much different from the Klan’s! Anderson and Ward are in some ways, the odd couple. The two carry a completely different set of ideals and appear to be mismatched. But in the end, they are able to put that aside to work together. Because of this, we root for them to bring this circle of hate to justice.

The performances of Mississippi Burning are superb; Gene Hackman is both charming and cold-blooded as Rupert Anderson. As a veteran of the old ways, he knows his way around. When his charms don’t work on the townspeople he turns to his other specialty- intimidation. Hackman holds the screen and gives the film its human feel. Willem Dafoe is also gives a good performance as career driven Alan Ward. The man is shown to be out of his depth and is continually perplexed as to where the hatred comes from.  Because of this he is the moral voice of the film.

This film is up there with the very best civil rights dramas, it has a moral story and give us two solid central figures. We can feel the hate escalating throughout the film, and the dilemma of the agents face trying to fight the flames! Alan Parker gives us a godless society where immorality is all around. And through this we see the horrors that follow the KKK’s rule. This film is highly recommended and it is one of the most claustrophobic viewings you will experience!