What often makes a movie great is the debate that it sparks. Truly awesome films will force audience members to pick sides, argue their points, and defend the philosophy of the characters portrayed onscreen. However, with a movie like 12 Years a Slave, there is no controversy whatsoever. There’s no way to present two points of view in any movie about slavery, as one side is so clearly wrong, but I’d love it if the audience wasn’t bludgeoned over their heads with the most “So What” message in movie history: “SLAVERY BAD.” True? Oh, very much so. But everyone with a functioning cerebral cortex knows that. This is a movie that tugs at emotions, but definitely doesn’t make you think.
Not to say that 12 Years a Slave is bad-- It’s actually one of the best films of the year. But let’s get the flaws out of the way before we delve into what makes it so good. The film is about slavery, and any movie about slavery (yes, even Django Unchained) will feature a pretty straightforward message: Southerners are assholes. But what makes 12 Years a little more grating is the fact that it pretends to be exposing some kind of revelatory truth. Realistically, it’s doing no more than preaching to the converted. In this case, the ‘converted’ refers to anyone who isn’t a racist piece of shit. But much like this summer’s poli-sci-fi study, Elysium, it goes through the effort of screaming its already clear message at us every five minutes. It’s a silly complaint to have, yes, but preachy movies are INCREDIBLY annoying. There’s nothing worse than wanting to stand up in the theater and yell “OKAY, WE GET IT, SLAVERY IS BAD” while watching someone being whipped for the millionth time. This movie has a moral code that nobody can object to... and I object to that.
Fortunately, the film has several redeeming qualities. Firstly, although it does get a little holier-than-thou in the beginning, it is held up expertly by Chiwetel Ejiofor’s remarkable performance as Solomon Northup. Northup is a free man in New York who is conned by a pair of slavers and taken to Washington DC, from where he is smuggled south. Ejiofor presents a perfect portrait of a man who has nothing to live for, yet somehow has not lost all hope. His facial expressions are great, and few actors can do crying scenes as well as he can. He isn’t always bringing his A-game, but when he is, you forget that you’re watching a movie. He sweeps you up into the life of his character, and he’s never been more riveting to watch.
The two other notable performances, by Benedict Cumerbatch and Michael Fassbender, are both great, although it’s clear from the get-go that Fassbender has the more difficult job. Cumerbatch plays a relatively humanitarian and kind slave owner by the name of Ford, while Fassbender is given the role of Edwin Epps, a sadistic and ruthless man who regularly beats his slaves and continually rapes one in particular. Cumerbatch’s role is certainly a difficult one, as he has to convey a truly split personality: Ford is a slave owner, yes, but there are moments throughout that suggest that he is truly a kind and generous man, giving Ejiofor a violin and protecting him from a surveyor with ego problems (Paul Dano). By the way, Dano hasn’t really taken a role outside his comfort zone yet, which is disappointing. In Looper, Prisoners, There Will Be Blood, Ruby Sparks, and now 12 Years a Slave, he has constantly played a spineless dweeb who tends to get beaten up a lot. He’s a strong actor, but he doesn’t have much range, and most of the roles he takes are characters you want to punch in the face.
But Fassbender ends up stealing the show, which isn’t surprising, but still deserves some analysis. His performance as Epps is unspeakably great, and could easily win him Best Supporting Actor this year. Normally, I would disregard this character as another one-dimensional white supremacist whose sole purpose in the movie is to be hated. But I can’t, as this is a true story, and Epps was a real human being. Which makes the situation pretty disgusting. Fassbender has a great (if sometimes unsettling) connection with the character, making him instantly hated from the moment he steps onscreen. But there’s one thing that sets him apart from every other awful white plantation owner in the South-- His bitchy wife, who might actually be worse than he is. She’s controlling and manipulative, and you can’t help but wonder if Epps is frustrated with the fact that she wears the proverbial pants in the family, and therefore takes his anger out on his slaves. Still, that’s a reason for his behavior, not an excuse.
Final Score for 12 Years a Slave: 8/10 stars. It’s a great film that is slightly let down by repetitive themes and a WTF Brad Pitt cameo that jolts the audience out of the film’s world and reminds them that yes, this is a big Hollywood movie. He seems shoehorned in, and of COURSE he plays the only likable white person in the whole movie. But the movie is otherwise fantastic, featuring sweeping cinematography, a Shakespearian script, and inspired direction. If you’re looking for a classic revenge movie, well, sorry... but this ain’t Django Unchained. The slavers get off scot-free in the end. But that’s what you get when you form an emotional attachment to a true story. Sure, it’s Oscar bait, and no, it doesn’t do much new with the subgenre of slavery films save for tell the story of one man. But for pure, emotional entertainment value, it’s difficult to beat.
No comments:
Post a Comment