Solomon Northup (Ejiofor) is a free, well to do and respected black man in upstate New York who after parting ways with his wife and 2 children joins up with two white men who request he joins them to perform in their musical group. After the performance the men get Solomon drunk only for him to wake up realizing that he has been sold into slavery. Having been born a free man his eyes are quickly opened to the cruel and brutal treatment of a slave at the hands of the various plantation owners he encounters. During his time as a slave his only goal is to survive and stay alive with hopes of seeing his family again but that may not happen if it is up to plantation master Ford (Fassbender) who is the most ruthless owner he has worked for.
Reel Talk:
Based on a true story, this is a hard picture and not recommended for those who are easily traumatized by the cruel treatment of black people at the hands of white people during that period. This is a great movie but it is depressingly great. Well acted by an all star cast, but the brutality inflicted upon the slaves is graphic and hard to cope with by some. Django was good for laughs but there is no laughing for this film, it depicts the true harsh realism of how bad things were for blacks acquired as slaves, families divided with no possibility of ever reconnecting and the brutal beatings at the end of a whip. While this is a excellent movie, I hope that this is the last one involving slavery of blacks because we do not need to be constantly reminded how bad our ancestors were treated. You don't see movies that continue reminding the Jews about their mistreatment during the Holocaust. Worth the admission for some great acting but be warned that this is a graphic movie.
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Sarah Paulson and Brad Pitt
Directed by: Steve McQueen
Rated: R
I give it 5 corn dogs.
By: Corn Dog - The Reel Hustler
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