Imagine a man with a beautiful wife and two lovely children. A free man who gets kidnapped and forced into slavery by two con men. A man who has equal rights and liberty but is forced to endure over a decade of cruelty and abuse when he is enslaved. “12 Years a Slave”, released in 2013, is the perfect example of a must-watch film.
“12 Years a Slave” is a biographical drama that details the horrific and brutal history slaves went through in America during the 1800s and early 1900s.
In the film, an individual called Solomon Northup is a free African-American man who is kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two con men/swindlers in the year 1841. Northup is played by the phenomenal actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who not only won an Academy Award for the film, but has numerous other awards as well.
In the film, Northrup, a married man with two lovely children, and a master violinist, becomes a slave even though he is a free man: Ejiofor describes and acts Northup’s story in an extended flashback. Solomon Northup was sold as a slave in New Orleans, he spent 12 years of slavery. Sorrowfully they took away his equal rights as well as his own name. Solomon Northup was no longer Solomon. He was renamed as “Platt Hamilton.” Burch would invent fictitious, assumptionists backgrounds for Platt before shipping him to New Orleans. Platt was subjected and dominated to beatings, when platt was sold into slavery they asked him a very horrifying question “Are you a slave?” platt was subjected to say that he is a slave under the threat of being beaten. Solomon Northup tries to escape through the woods. His goal and dream was to see his family again.
The subject of this film, slavery, is extremely horrendous, and that is what makes this movie a must-watch, because people today need to understand America’s past, and avoid the same mistakes.
“12 Years a Slave” is filled with sorrowful and cruel events, but watching Northup endure those experiences provides essential details and information about what slaves went through (slaves of both genders), and most importantly, what Solomon Northup experienced. It is very important to understand the experiences of slaves and how history was authorized. Northup eventually published a memoir, and that narrative, as well as the film, showcase the darker side of history.
One reason why “12 Years a Slave” is recommended is that this film is full of historical background from a real-life individual: Solomon Northup. Knowing that someone actually went through this unthinkable abuse, there will be emotions as viewers watch the film: horror, sorrow, and eventually, satisfaction. Anyone who wants to acquire knowledge of experience from America’s slavery history should watch the film. Slavery is a terrifying and discriminatory era, and it is important that people today learn and watch; obviously, society can never disregard the unfairness and horrific authorization that slaves went through. Particularly Solomon Northup.
And while it is important to understand the historical context of this film, that is not the only reason “12 Years a Slave” is a must-watch. This movie has astonishing and phenomenal characters. It is not just the way they communicate and have resilience in tough circumstances but how they express their feelings, their emotional state makes this film a million times fascinating and compelling. Solomon Northup is a unique, very positive and resilient character. His actions show that he will show resilience even in horrifying events. Solomon Northup taught us as viewers an extremely comprehensible message while we watch the film to respect human life and encourage the idea of freedom. We learn from Solomon Northup, we learn from what he experienced and we learn inequality rights back in history.
Viewers will love the actors and how each character has their own personal story; they will get to know each character intimately, and because of that, this film will make their eyeballs bawl! Viewers will feel different emotions as they watch the characters build hope, and then experience heartbreak: depending on the event, viewers can anticipate feelings of rage, sorrow, and satisfaction. And above all, as they watch they will have numerous questions as to how a free man was obligated to be in slavery.
A third reason why the movie is recommended is that “12 Years a Slave” has lessons that are relatable to modern day issues as well. Even though numerous years have passed, people in 2023 are still without equal rights in this universe. Not having equal rights is completely unfair: there should be changes to the laws that impact pay scales, access to education, and more. Women or men, brown, black, white, or other colored skin, low class people or affluent individuals: no matter what viewers support – and what they do not – every individual in this world should have equal rights, and “12 Years a Slave” promotes that message.
Overall, the film “12 Years a Slave” is a must-watch film. It is extremely important to understand and have a knowledge of the horrific historical background that slaves went through, specifically what Solomon Northup experienced.
Keep in consideration that this film/movie was based on true events, and slaves were obligated to work and do as authorized. The film “12 Years a Slave” offers an extremely brutal story that perfectly crafts emotional footage to transport a meaningful message. Social Studies classes should watch this film in sequence to develop a knowledge of slavery and to keep this horrific historical event a priority.
