12 Years a Slave: A Matter of Colour

If you haven’t heard of Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave by now you must have been living under a rock for the past few months. This film is the talk of the moment, with much buzz about the anticipation of success at the Oscars and the hope that McQueen will be the first black director to win the academy award. But what makes 12 Years stand out from the other high calibre films of the season? What is it about this film that has critics raving and audiences eagerly filling the seats of the nation’s cinemas?

This historical drama, based on a true life memoir, follows the journey of Solomon Northup, played beautifully by Chiwetel Ejiofor, a free black man kidnapped and sold into a life of slavery in 1840’s America. Along the way he encounters several memorable white plantation owners all with varying views and practices on the treatment of slaves. To name a few, Michael Fassbender’s sadistic and possessive character, Edwin Epps, disturbingly lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled and Paul Dano’s John Tibeats embodies the petty cruelty and small-minded racism that plagued much of the Deep South in the duration of Solomon’s life and beyond. The beatings, torture, rape, lynching and degradation that the slaves experience are harrowingly depicted in this unflinching portrayal of the brutality and tragedy of a slave’s life. There is one scene in particular that seems to have been brandished on my mind. Without mentioning spoiler details, the scene was executed with such a steady, torturously long gaze at the barbaric ferocity of the slave’s abuse at the hands of the all-powerful master that many fellow cinemagoers and I could barely keep our hands from shielding our eyes. And it is precisely this honesty that sets the film apart; it is not afraid to deal with the most distressing situations and examine them under the full beam of spotlight.

One of the other outstanding aspects of 12 Years is how beautifully and artistically it is shot, making it easy to appreciate the director’s background as a visual artist (he won the Turner prize in 1999). There is a strong emphasis on the interplay between shadow, light and colour within the film. Some scenes are brimming with a heady mixture of close ups and colours creating a dizzying and almost overwhelming effect, heightening the chaotic and traumatic circumstances in which the protagonist finds himself. This accent on colour further highlights the key themes of the film, this fascination with a certain colour, a certain skin type. McQueen also often throws us into the majestic beauty of the natural environment in which Solomon is working, placing beauty and brutality side by side. The stunning, glowing red sunset filtering through the ancient trees almost an inverse reflection of the red welts ripped across naked black flesh. This powerful contrast accentuates the true devastation and tragedy of the story.

Slow-paced and thoughtful, the narrative focuses on the small details to great tragic effect like Solomon’s attempts at writing a letter with ink made from blackberry juice and his gift for playing the violin. In one particular scene, as he tunes the instrument, the tightening of the musical strings leaves us with the expectation of a snap; a fraught and unsettling atmosphere ensues in the place of something which should be joyous and merry. This disturbing juxtaposition is observed in several instances throughout the film where fun and danger, laughter and fear, merriment and anxiety lie side by side, and, like prey stalked by a crouching tiger, the slaves are under constant and imminent threat of violence and abuse. The cast are superb at highlighting this helplessness and sheer vulnerability, and convey how the sought after solidarity between each other was near impossible due to the torturous techniques and actions of their oppressors.

In addition to the great acting and creation from cast and crew, Hans Zimmer’s haunting musical score floats and weaves throughout the film, creating a subtle atmosphere of pathos, tragedy yet resilience. McQueen’s film is heart breaking, yet in many places uplifting and a true display of the rewards of courage, enduring love and the will not just to survive but to live, a testament to the human spirit. Watch this film and it is clear to see where those appraising critics are coming from!