8.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
Based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty, as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Garret DillahuntDrama | 100% |
Biography | 63% |
Period | 62% |
History | 54% |
Epic | 26% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
There’s a strain of thought that runs through the American body politic that since we are self-evidently “the greatest
country on the earth”, any perceived “minor” peccadilloes from our nation’s past are easily forgotten and/or forgiven.
This somewhat odd tendency raises its head most obviously in the treatment of Native Americans and, of course,
slavery. It’s not hard to find pundits on television to this day urging members of either ethnicity to more or less “get
over it”, move on with their lives and not dwell on long ago historical “anomalies”. Putting aside George Santayana’s
famous maxim “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” for a moment, there seems to be a
sometimes odd combination of jingoism and willful denial of history in some reactions to horrifying events like slavery.
But is it also somehow related to the passage of time? Would anyone, even the most callous suggesting that
African Americans should not still be bringing up the horrors of slavery, ever think of telling a Holocaust survivor
to “get over it”? Whatever the reason for this perhaps strange tendency, spending a bit over two hours with 12
Years a Slave should provide ample opportunity for most viewers to realize there’s still a lot to learn about long ago
historical tragedies—but perhaps not always in the way one might imagine.
While the disgusting practice of slavery is
portrayed in all its disturbing dementia throughout the film, what’s really remarkable about this true life tale is
how it quietly, firmly but undeniably posits the resiliency of the human spirit against almost insurmountable odds. The
story of Solomon Northup, told by Northup himself, was a cause célèbre in the mid-19th century, a literary
phenomenon perhaps second only to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The fact that Northup’s harrowing story was true,
unlike that of Harriet Beecher Stowe, only gave more power to its gut wrenching tale of a free black man abducted and
sold into slavery, spending the next dozen years enduring all sorts of degradation and trauma. Rather interestingly,
despite its renown at the time of its publication and for several years afterward, the book fell into obscurity and it wasn’t
until the mid-20th century that two scholars published an annotated version of it, at which point it started climbing once
again into the general public consciousness. Though few probably remember it, there was actually a prior screen
adaptation of Northup’s book, a 1984 PBS made for television film entitled Solomon Northup’s Odyssey, directed
by iconic photographer Gordon Parks and starring future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine player Avery Brooks as
Northup. That outing, much like the novel, fell into obscurity and for many 12 Years a Slave will be their
introduction to one of the most amazing true life tales in the entire annals of history.
12 Years a Slave is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. The film is almost unbearably beautiful at times, with McQueen and his cinematographer Sean Bobbitt lavishing quite a bit of time on the incredible beauty of surroundings encapsulating some of the most abhorrent activities in the history of Mankind. McQueen repeatedly frames scenes with sunlight peeking through foliage (see screenshots 13, 17 and 19), which offer some beautiful dappling effects. A lot of the film is bathed in a kind of syrupy golden hue, which perfectly approximates the indolent life of the slave owners while forming a no doubt intentionally ironic subtext for the scenes of hard slave labor. Fine detail is often exceptional—disturbingly so, at times. The welts and scars on various slaves' bodies are almost palpable, and things like the fine muslin fabric that many slaves wear show every ragged thread. While contrast is generally very strong throughout this presentation, some extremely low light scenes lack adequate shadow detail, to the point that it's very hard to make out exactly what's going on. These few moments are the exception, however, in what is otherwise a sterling high definition experience.
12 Years a Slave's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is beautifully rendered and provides a wealth of involving surround activity. Scenes of Solomon's life before slavery include the trudge of horses and slosh of mud lined streets, but it's probably the first appalling clang of chains when Solomon finds himself captive that will make most audiophiles sit up and take notice. The film has several outstanding, if subtle, sequences, including Solomon's trip on the boat to New Orleans, where creaks and groans populate the side and rear channels, or, later, some of the field work, where the slaves' spirituals spill through the surrounds. Special kudos should be given to Hans Zimmer's beautiful string infused score, which also fills the surrounds quite nicely. Dialogue is always cleanly presented and well prioritized. Fidelity is superb throughout the track.
If you're like me, you'll spend most of 12 Years a Slave with an epic sized pit in your stomach. This is certainly one of the most distressing emotional experiences in recent memory, highlighted by an ironically beautiful production design and some viscerally compelling performances. 12 Years a Slave has been on an awards juggernaut of late, and it will be interesting to see how it fares this weekend at the Academy Awards. In an awards season as competitive as this one has been, it's certainly no sure bet that the film will walk away with anything, but there's absolutely no doubt this is one of the most important films of this or any year. The Blu-ray offers superb technical merits and some excellent supplements. Highly recommended.
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