“12 Years a Slave” is a Brutal Masterpiece

Michael Fassbender (left), Lupita Nyong'o (center) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (right) turn in performances as relentless as Steve McQueen's direction in "12 Years a Slave."

Acclaimed director Steve McQueen’s new film “12 Years a Slave” has been widely talked about as a front-runner for the Academy Award for Best Picture since its premier at the Telluride Film Festival and subsequent screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival. Some, like Kyle Buchanan of Vulture Magazine, have even gone as far as saying that it has already won the award.

Believe the hype.

            

McQueen is one of the most talented directors in the world at the moment. Unrelenting and brutal in his craft, his previous film, “Shame” (2011), an experimental character study about sex addiction, though critically acclaimed, was ignored by the academy largely due to its controversial subject matter. “12 Years a Slave” will not have the same problem.

The film, though brutal, features an incredible true story of significant historical importance. It dramatizes the autobiography of the same name by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1941. Northup, brilliantly played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Children of Men”) in a breakout role of sorts, witnesses and endures the unspeakable cruelty of slavery. 

True to his honest style of filmmaking, McQueen seems set on exposing slavery in the antebellum South exactly as it was with no violent detail withheld. He remains at a distance, not judging any of his characters but rather letting their actions speak for them.

When first tricked and kidnapped, Northup is savagely whipped for insisting that he is a free man. Most contemporary directors would construct this scene with one quick cut into the action of the abuse and move on. McQueen lets the camera linger uncut for several minutes while Northup is whipped over and over again. The violence is not highly stylized like it would be in a Quentin Tarantino film; it is simply unequivocal. Needless to say, this film is not for the faint of heart.

During the initial whipping scene, Northup’s captor repeatedly calls for him to admit he is a slave. But Northup refuses to give in to his injustice, and though his persistence continually results in unfathomable cruelty on Louisiana plantations, he holds hope that he will one day see his wife and two kids again.

The fact that the story is true is combined with McQueen’s uncompromising direction makes the film an incredibly powerful experience. It’s acting, however, takes it to an entirely different level. Ejiofor’s depiction of Northup is the stuff of legends and should set him as an absolute lock for a best actor nomination. Mark him down as one to watch. Michael Fassbender (in his third collaboration with McQueen) is also a force as the most evil of Northup’s slave owners, Edwin Epps, and the supporting cast featuring the likes of Paul Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and Sarah Paulson (“Mud”) all turn in compelling performances.

The biggest surprise of the film is undoubtedly the performance of Lupita Nyong’o in her American film debut. Nyong’o plays Patsey, a slave so badly abused that she becomes suicidal. Her ability to simply handle the sheer emotional weight of her role in a debut is amazing in itself, but she masters it. Like Ejiofor, she is one to look out for.

All of this is more than enough to make a great film. But “12 Years a Slave” packs yet another punch: the absolute centerpiece of the year. In the scene, Northup is forced by Epps to whip fellow slave Patsey, who he has grown close to. It is shot in one continuous take and lasts for over 5 minutes. The camera weaves in and out of the action, shifting with the ebbs and flows of the scene. Dialogue gives way to a heart-wrenching score by famed composer Hans Zimmer (“Rain Man,” “Gladiator”). Characters are broken; humanity questioned. One must simply see the shot in order to experience its power and horror.

The film's negatives really all boil down to taste. Those with weak stomachs will not like it. Those who prefer light and entertaining films will probably not like it either. Fans of intimately detailed dramas and historical epics will love it, however. Tonally the film is much like McQueen’s first feature, “Hunger,” a dramatization of the prison experience and hunger strike of Irish Republican Army protestor Bobby Sand’s (played by Fassbender) in 1981. A steady, controlled pace accentuates the shocking content displayed in each. Both films are based on true historical accounts and while “12 Years a Slave” may resonate with audiences as a tale of a more horrifying injustice, they are very similarly crafted.

Though the acts depicted are despicable and often hard to watch, it is hard not to be compelled by the film’s historical weight. “12 Years a Slave” is important because it strives to depict uncensored truth, and all of its intangibles make it perhaps the first great film of the decade. (Grade: A+)

Three Key Elements to Look for in "12 Years a Slave"

The intense physicality of both Michael Fassbender's performance and Steve McQueen's direction made "Hunger" (2008) a break out film for each. (Photo by IFC Films)

In honor of Steve McQueen's new film, "12 Years a Slave," which screens at the New York Film Festival this week, here are the top three key elements of McQueens first two films, "Hunger" and "Shame," that are likely to resurface in his newest work:

Bobby Sands (Fassbender) talking to a priest (Cunningham)
during the longest shot ever on film in "Hunger."
(Photo by IFC Films)

1. Long shots - McQueen's use of long takes is among the most powerful in recent cinematic years. His first film, "Hunger," features a much-talked about 17 1/2 minute long shot as its centerpiece. The shot, which covers the penultimate discussion between infamous Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and a priest (Liam Cunningham) about whether or not Sands should begin what ultimately proves to be a fatal hunger strike in 1981, covers 28 pages of script and is considered to be the longest single shot on film. It effectively draws attention to the serious moral decision being made and sets emphasis on the next shot immediately following its cut, one that delves into the psychology of deep belief in a cause via an intense Fassbender. All that follows in the film is the direct result of this interchange; without the long shot, the film's ending would prove empty. Watch part of the long take here (the important cut comes at 7:05 and continues here).
   
   The long shot also comes into play in McQueen's second feature, "Shame." This time its use is much less important to the plot of the film, and much more important to the underlying themes of the movie not yet fully understood by the viewer at the time of the shot. After allowing his sister to stay at his apartment, sex addict Brandon (Fassbender) soon finds himself in the awkward position of playing host to a late-night hook-up between his sister and his boss. After sounds of the affair take over the apartment, Brandon goes out for a late night jog to escape. Here starts a tracking shot that follows Brandon jogging for several minutes (and many blocks of NYC streets). Brandon is both literally running away from the sex of his sister, and at the same time is figuratively running away from sex itself, as his addiction is a more serious problem than the audience is fully aware. The camera stays perfectly on pace with Brandon; running will not help him escape from his addiction.                                                                                                          
2. A direction-matching performance - In both "Hunger" and "Shame" McQueen's brutal direction style is perfectly complimented by the performances of Fassbender. In "Hunger" Fassbender's unflinchingly determined and physical portrayal of Sands matches McQueens show-all style; McQueen's determination lies in his quest to portray the conditions of Irish jails during the protests of the late 70's and early 80's exactly as they were, while Fassbender's is a literal determination to adhere to his character's  beliefs. In "Shame," meanwhile, McQueens directorial techniques play the foil to Fassbender's character's weakness, with camera takes panning to and lingering on the triggers of Brandon's addiction. Both films feature a striking physicality that is embodied both in Fassbender's actions and McQueens images.
   
   "12 Years a Slave" is McQueen's first film without Fassbender as the leading man (he is a supporting character instead), but all signs from trailers as well as early reviews are that Chiwetel Ejiofor is a force to be reckoned with as Solomon Northup; it is very conceivable that his character's determination to make it through the rigors of slavery matching what will surely be McQueen's determination to portray all the ugliness that is slavery. There is also talk of Fassbender as a towering supporting figure, and that he plays a slave owner suggests he could play a major role in McQueen's portait of slavery.                                                                                                                                                 
3. The truth - There is something about McQueen's films that make you feel as though you are watching a near synchronization of art film and documentary. This is due to many things: his lean scripts, the honest performances he draws from his actors, and his willingness to show vile and disturbing images at the risk of turning off viewers (jail walls of "Hunger" are often painted with feces by the inmates themselves). "Hunger" shows the viewer the truth behind protests (and the cruelty they often invoke) and "Shame" shows the viewer the truth behind sex addition.
   
   "12 Years a Slave" automatically has an extra built-in value of truth above and beyond "Shame", as it is based on a true story. That, combined with McQueen's penchant for truth in images, will likely give audiences a wholly authentic experience, because the disturbing images they are being shown actually happened (as was the case with "Hunger").

"12 Years a Slave" has largely received rave reviews thus far in its limited showings, and by all accounts figures to be a major contender come award season. I will be at the New York Film Festival's Oct. 8 showing of the film, so expect a review soon!