12 Years a Slave
12 Years a Slave, a terrific film by Steve McQueen, opens with the words "based on a real event", and closes with a detailed narrative of what occurred to Solomon Northup after he was set free. What occurs in between - when Northup is abducted and sold into black slavery for 12 years - often befuddles the imagination. Should you trust the authenticity of this tale, even with some of the most unbelievable parts?
The answer is yes - with a few exceptions here and there. 12 Years a Slave is based on Northup's book with the same name, which he had penned with the assistance of his ghostwriter, David Wilson. Some historians have questioned aspects of the story's presentation; they thought it fitted the conventional aspects of slave tale genres a bit too conveniently. However, its key events were eventually validated by historians Joseph Logsdon and Sue Eakin in the groundbreaking 1968 version of the book.
The cinematic adaptation, written by writer John Ridley, and inspired by Northup's memoir and Eakin and Logsdon's footnotes, adheres quite closely to Northup's account. While some of the plot is abridged and a few minor sequences are made up, in general, most of the astonishing aspects are taken directly from the original source.
Release year: 2013
Director: Steve McQueen
IMDB Score: 8.1/10
