Slavery in the USA has always been a touchy subject, and the gamut of stories from this era of history has ranged from Django Unchained to Roots. But I'd make an argument that it's an important era of history, and one that people should be aware of..
12 Years a Slave is a film based on the account of one Solomon Northup, a free man who was sold as a slave after being duped by unscrupulous men. He then serves as a slave to different people, both (relatively) kind and not so kind. Most of the film centers on his experiences with the not so kind slave owner, portrayed in manic detail by Michael Fassbender.
Solomon's ordeal is also a transformation; he loses his name, his identity and, towards the end of the film, his spirit. One scene where he partakes in a church hymn reflects his surrender to his status as a slave. The depiction of the treatment of slaves is brutal: these human beings are truly treated like property. They endure not only physical abuse but emotional abuse as well.
The slave owners try to justify their abuses through religion, but they are slaves of the times as much as the African Americans are. They are entrenched in a belief system that, despite being oppressive, has been a part of their lives since birth.Had they been born in today's world, would they have acted the same way?
Hopefully the film (and others that will hopefully follow it) makes us think why did we let these transgressions occur, and how to prevent oppression like this from happening again.
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