12 Years A Slave By Steve Mcqueen

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12 Years a Slave was released in 2013 and was directed by Steve McQueen, a director who is known for utilizing intense but realistic subjects as the core of his productions. The movie takes a stark and honest insight into what it means to lose yourself and your humanity in the horrors of slavery. In this film, McQueen addressed and adapted the real story of a memoir published by Solomon Northup, who maintains the role as the main character. McQueen’s film tells the story of a violinist who is sold into slavery during the 1800s despite having been a “free man” in his home state of New York and must escape. McQueen uses interesting tactics to make the film feel relatable to viewers, no one can understand what it felt like to be a slave, but people can imagine the absolute depravity of losing all of their freedom. …show more content…

The film forces viewers to accept the horror of a life of slavery by forcing them to view it from an entirely new angle and from a fresh perspective. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who portrays Northup, is well dressed and appears incredibly intelligent and witty, and has a soft tone when speaking. In the beginning of the film, the music is light and encouraging, the scenes are filmed with natural sunlight and there is bright colors surrounding the background. The earlier scenes are filmed with a sense of beauty and pride, Northup is stern and aloof without seeming unrealistically sophisticated. Solomon Northup is often featured in the center of the screen and the camera follows his actions, making Northup appear influential and in