12 Years a Slave

Twelve Years a Slave (2013), Directed by Steve McQueen, Written for the screen by John Ridley.  Based on Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup.  The Film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (Solomon Northup), Dwight Henry (Uncle Abram), Kelsey Scott (Anne Northup), Quvenzhane Wallis (Margaret Northup ), Cameron Zeigler (Alonzo Northup), Michael Fassbender (Edwin Epps), Sarah Paulson (Mistress Epps), Paul Giamatti (Freeman), Brad Pitt as Bass.

1841 Saratoga New York, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) approached by two travelers, Brown (Scoot McNairy) and Hamilton (Taran Killam).  They meet with Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor) with expectations on him performing with them with a Circus; a great deal of money is to be made, all the way to Washington.  The two men watch as Solomon gets drunk, there after he awakens in Chains, wrist, ankles, his gaze is blurry.  A man enters the dark damp room and tells Solomon, his name has changed to Platt. Degraded, and the deep emotion of the loss of his family.  Solomon tells the man that he is a Free man and his family and him resides in Saratoga New York.  Now he is a runaway slave from Georgia.  Whipped, and chained this man who was Free is now a slave.  His will and his desire to live is his strength, Solomon Northup will prevail.

The story of one man's encounters and experiences with being a slave.  The huge cast make up this wonderful Film.  Steve McQueen's Direction in making Solomon's story unfold is masterful. 

The background and sets are beautiful and make you belive, your back in 1841. This Film should be considered number one in Screenplay, cinamatography, Direction and more.  The brutality of the past is caught on Film, it shows us how man can be evil and yet kind.  The will and desire to live of this one man who experienced Hell, and yet the light was there to capture, it's that pure methodology of telling a story the way it happened, the feeling of loss, hate; really makes this Film a masterpiece.