12 Years a Slave

Much more than a film about 19th century slavery in America, this sharply well-told true story has a lot to say about the world we live in today. And as he did in Hunger and Shame, filmmaker Steve McQueen puts us right into the middle of the story so we live it ourselves. Watching this film is a riveting, unnerving and ultimately moving experience.

It's based on a firsthand account by Solomon Northrup (Ejiofor), a musician who is living with his family in 1841 Saratoga, New York, when two friendly men offer him a great gig. But they drug him and sell him to slave traders, who send him to New Orleans and strip him of his identity. He spends the next 12 years working for two masters. Ford (Cumberbatch) is a fair man who puts him under the watchful eye of the cruel Tibeats (Dano). Then he is sold to Epps (Fassbender), a harsh boss who sends him into cotton fields and angrily suspects that Solomon is more educated than he admits.

Made with an earthy, realistic style, there's a clear sense that McQueen and screenwriter Ridley stuck closely to the details of Northrup's memoir, which was published shortly after his release and became a bestseller at the time. By never indulging in Hollywood-style exaggeration, the events remain grounded in the characters, drawing on the spiky interaction between them. At the centre, Ejiofor is utterly magnetic, delivering a transparent performance that takes our breath away. In his terrified eyes, we experience this horror ourselves.

And the supporting cast is equally strong, with remarkable performances from rising-star actresses Oduye, Paulsen and especially Nyong'o as a fellow slave who has a particularly harrowing experience of her own. (The only false note is Pitt, who tries too hard to be worthy, but his role is pivotal.) In the end, what lifts the film far above the pack is the way it refuses to make anyone a hero or villain. Even the nastiest characters are complex and eerily understandable. Which gives the film a ring of truth that makes it impossible for us to watch without thinking about how slavery is even more rampant today than it was back then, from human trafficking to extraordinary rendition.

Watch the '12 Years a Slave' Trailer