12 Years a Slave: Did not dissapoint

While anxiously awaiting my arrival into the UK for spring break, I was given the option to watch several movies on the plane. I sat next to two girls from Whales and while scrolling through what movies to watch, we all stopped at 12 Years a Slave. We all said we have never seen it before but wanted to watch it since we heard nothing but great things and I personally wanted to since it won an Oscar. At first we were not sure because we didn't really want to watch such a depressing movie. We then all looked at each other and said it is ok, we can cry together...and together we did.

12 Years a Slave imparts the cruelty of slavery with full force and tells the story of one man and his fight to stay alive. He fights for his life and is taken into the hands of a malevolent slave owner. This film is in no way shape or form an easy film to watch. In fact it is the complete opposite. The storyline is heartbreaking and violent. But the storyline is not what made this film so unbearable to the eye. What made it unbearable was the different camera techniques and editing that was used. One scene in particular was when a main character was being whipped by her own people. The way the shots were produced and the actors expressions were just brutal. I couldn't help but drop my jaw and cry. It was one of the most powerful scenes I have ever watched. Another was when he is writing a letter to his family, the extreme close up shot and the expression on his face makes the viewer feel his pain. Not only is it the way the shot is framed but it is also the duration of the shot. It is extremely long and you are just stuck there staring at his face and seeing the expression in his eyes. It happens for a few scenes. I don't want to give anything away because I strongly believe everyone should see this movie. It is painful, yet beautifully done. The cinematography, acting, directing, editing, everything was none other than brilliant and got the story across incredibly well.

I went into this movie with incredibly high expectations, and I can definitely say it lived up to them and deserved that Oscar for sure.