12 Years a Slave is based on the true events that occurred in 1853. It’s based on Solomon Northup who is deceived and kidnapped by two men who he thought were his friends. This deceit led him to stay in slavery for 12 years. His wife and two kids had no idea where he went because he did not even have a piece of paper or a pen to write to them.
He was being sold from one master to another and kept under the most brutal conditions. The last master that owned him would beat them with a lash between 100-150 times if they didn’t pick enough cotton or picked less than the previous day. No slaves had the right to question their masters and were barely paid anything. In the end, Brad Pitt is the one who helps Solomon send a letter up North to his friends to send freeing papers and let the people know that he is no slave but instead a free man with a family. This film shows that slavery still existed long after World War and racial inequality was still affecting these people.
In terms of Shots this film has a lot of static shots with almost no noise to bring out the hurt that they are going through. Or to show that even if one was in pain the other slaves couldn’t help him and pretended like nothing was wrong. The use of bright and dark contrast shows the day open in the cotton fields and darkness in the servant’s quarters. As well as the use of wide shots, tracking, and over-shoulder shots.
In conclusion, this film made me realize how much change had to take place for such injustice to end. But also, how well this movie was directed to make the viewer feel as if they were one of the slaves and how it would have made them feel.
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