This past weekend was one of those HBO free preview weekends so I took advantage of that and DVR’d a few movies that I wanted to watch at a later time. One of those movies was the Oscar winner ’12 Years a Slave’. I’d put off seeing this movie in theaters because I had a feeling it was going to be too much for me on the big screen, and I was right. I was brought to tears numerous times Sunday night.
I know the history of my people in this country, but it’s still hard to see it portrayed on the “big” screen, especially when it’s based on an accurate account. For those of you who don’t know, the movie is based on the autobiography of Solomon Northup, who was a free man living in New York who was tricked into going to Washington D.C. by some con men who sold him into slavery for 12 years! Before then, he’d never known the life of a slave. His father was a freed slave and his mother was free as well. Solomon even owned land in Hebron, New York and that was totally unheard of back then. He was a talent violinist and farmer and both skills came in handy during his time in slavery.
I have to applaud Steve McQueen (the director), Chiwetel Ejiofor (the actor who played Solomon) and the rest of the cast. There were scenes when I was openly weeping with Solomon, Patsey and even Ford (played by Benedict Cumberbatch).
I hate to say this, but I feel like slavery is something that’s brushed over in history classes here in Texas, like’s a dirty stain that no one really likes to talk about; I actually learned a lot about this history of African-Americans outside of the classroom. I don’t remember too many chapters in my Texas History book about this topic, and I definitely don’t remember reading about people being kidnapped, beaten and then sold into slavery even though they were already free.
Solomon was an amazing man. He had so many chances to just give up, but he didn’t. His faith and love for his family, especially his wife, kept him strong through all of that pain and suffering. He was tricked and betrayed more than once, but found it in his heart to open up to Brad Pitt’s character (who was Canadian) about what truly happened and it was then that his family was contacted and the process began to free him. Because of the times his family wasn’t allowed to come and retrieve him from Louisiana, but a white store owner and family friend came on their behalf and was able to hire a lawyer to get all of that sorted out.
The story didn’t end there; due to state laws in Louisiana Solomon’s “masters” couldn’t be brought justice because it was assumed that he was a slave when he was purchased and not a free man. Charges were filed against his kidnappers, but Washington law prevented him from testifying against them in court. That would have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. Mr. Northup is a stronger person than me. I don’t know what I’d do if justice was right there, so close that I could taste it but because I wasn’t a white male with property I couldn’t do anything about it.
I know it seems like I’ve spoiled the plot of this movie, and I might have, but I still recommend y’all see this movie. It’s eye-opening and heart-wrenching. It shows a part of American history that’s often brushed under a rug, but needs to be addressed. HBO is running it for awhile and if you can’t see it on there I recommend renting it via Redbox or however you rent movies. There’s a reason why this movie won the Oscar for picture of the year.
I had mixed feelings about this movie, but I'm glad it was made. I, too, learned a lot about what was going on even in the north as a result of seeing the film and I think, despite or maybe because of the graphic nature of it, this should be required viewing in American History classes. And I'm not one to advocate for showing kids R-rated movies, but this one is important.
Karen M. Peterson says
I had mixed feelings about this movie, but I'm glad it was made. I, too, learned a lot about what was going on even in the north as a result of seeing the film and I think, despite or maybe because of the graphic nature of it, this should be required viewing in American History classes. And I'm not one to advocate for showing kids R-rated movies, but this one is important.