Solomon Northup was a free man. He played the violin, lived in Saratoga, New York, and had a wife and two children. In 1841 two men offered him a short touring job, got him drunk in Washington, and he woke up in chains. 12 Years a Slave is the true account of what happened next, taken from the memoir Northup published in 1853.
The Story Follows Solomon From Saratoga To The Louisiana Plantations
Renamed “Platt” and shipped south, Solomon passes through the hands of a relatively mild owner, William Ford, before ending up on the cotton plantation of Edwin Epps, a man who reads scripture to his slaves and whips them the same afternoon. Solomon learns to hide that he can read and write, because an educated slave is a dangerous one. He meets Patsey, a young woman who picks more cotton than any man on the plantation and pays for it with Epps’ obsession. The film covers the full twelve years without rushing, and the ending comes from a chance meeting with a Canadian carpenter who agrees to post a letter north.
Why This One Stays With People
Steve McQueen does not look away. There is a hanging scene where Solomon is left on his toes in the mud for most of a day while life on the plantation carries on behind him, and the camera simply stays there. Chiwetel Ejiofor carries the film with very little dialogue, and Lupita Nyong’o won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Patsey in her first feature role. The film won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress at the 2014 Oscars.
Watching 12 Years A Slave On GoMovies
The full film streams here in HD at 134 minutes. No account is needed. Press play above and it starts.