Years a slave rethorical movie/ book analysis

Northup ha d been among the small minority of free African Americans living in receive War times who were financially well off. He was well educated and a remarkably talented violinist who resided in upstate New York. In the sprint g of 1841, he was lured by two white gentlemen into traveling to Washington n to perform music for a circus. Tragically, he was kidnapped on the trip and sold in the Southern states as a slave. He regained his freedom in 1853 and p published his memoirs of the experience as a narrative titled 12 Years a Slave.

The book instantly became a national best seller that further fueled the ABA illusionist movement because it provided a comprehensive view of the horrors of leaver by showcasing its relentless physical and psychological violence. North’s detailed account and unique perspective inspired movie director Steve Macaque to make Northup 12 Years a Slave into a 2 1st century film. Unseen’s film, 12 years a slave, accurately depicts North’s anathema of slavery and as importantly, presents the haircutting dissertation that racial discrimination is rampant in our pr sent times.

Unseen’s movie is not just powerful because it is based on North’s unique perspective, but also because of his vivid depiction o f the brutality that past Average ivies regarding slavery more often than not glossed over, and in fact often we re sympathetic and even romanticism the plight of the slaveholder’s the or mantic and personal struggles of slave holders, Unseen’s 12 years a slave strives to bluntly depict the brutal horrors, ironies and corruption of slavery.

Unlike previous land marking films portraying slavery, Unseen’s film does not idealize slavery but instead employs film crafting techniques to embark the audience in a journey to understand the privileges that so many Americans now take for granted. It was the nature of Northup circumstances that enticed Macaque to choose the narrative 12 Years a Slave over other popular slave narratives. Northup having been a prosperous free man prior to his enslavement? is a character that bridges the gap in perspective between the 19th century slave and our contemporary audience.

Similarly, the negligence on slavery that Northup possessed prior to his enslavement strengthens the audience’s emotional response by transitioning from a life of freedom and wealth?which we are well acquainted with? and unto the utter depth of despair and torture brought on by the institution through the loss of identity, dignity and possessions. Additionally, the fact that scarification still echoes through the present allows Unseen’s film to link N orator’s circumstances today’s ongoing discrimination.

The evidence is “press NT as you walk down the street in through prison population, mental illness , poverty, education”, Macaque states. A more recent and notorious example of such discrimination being Arizona 2012 immigration law which conspired to in accurate immigrants and minority populations. Thus, reminiscence of the past I n modern legislation and social behaviors further allow the audience, especially I individuals of minority groups to connect with Northup character.

Moreover, give en that the Macaque’ film was produced for a 21st century audience, it does not concern itself in making abolitionist arguments but rather focuses on the physical lilt of the facts. For instance, the way in which the movie presented Northup n retreated incident with Tibetan reinforces the physical risks undertaken by slaves. In the film, Tibetan would have succeeded in killing Northup had it not been for the intervention of the plantation’s overseer. The scene then culminates in frames depicting Average Northup on the bridge of choking.

Notably, the overall plotting of the scene re aimed intact in the movie, even though the accuracy of the events was altered which in turn provides a harsher emotional impact upon the audience. Emcee en’s recreation of the scene is visually more vicious than the truth in which Northup faces death through heat exhaustion. In addition, the movie tried to depict the longevity of the event by showcasing visuals on the e different times of the day, yet the level of desperation that Northup described in the book could not have successfully resonated with the audience CE with the same impact as the book.

Henceforth, Macaque found a need t recreate the creative recreation of the scene was necessary in order to such successfully portray the intensity of the suffering and feared faced by slaves. Nevertheless, Unseen’s honored some of Northup reflection and molded the m and molded them to serve their means. For example, the movie omits the face t that Ford sold Solomon to Tibetan in order to honor some of Northup original arguments regarding slave owners. Although the movie deprives Ford of his race SMS, in actuality, Northup was saved because he would become a financial loss to Master Ford more so than out of kindness.

In the book Northup explained his p respective as: “It is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it I s the fault of the system under which he lives. He cannot withstand the influence of habit and associations that surround him. Taught from earliest childhood, by all that he sees and hears that the rod is for the slave’s back, he will not be apt to change his opinions in mature years. ” The movie skillfully manages to elevate Northup views towards slaveholders. There was a necessity to alter the movie in order to convey Northup peers anal point of view on the psychology behind slave holder’s actions.

This is a v IEEE that is often forgotten due to present generalizations regarding southern racism, so by omitting the part in which Ford sold Northup Macaque is able shad e light on Northup Average book argument case point that modern audiences tend to forget. However, this alteration momentarily forsakes the objectification of people by the institution. In like manner Macaque provides a distinction of these views during Elijah’s we peeping scene in order to make the audience understand the difference between Northup views and the more generic views of slaves.

This scene portrays Elise g peeving over her lost children when Northup?who is fed up with her mourning demands her to stop. Elise and Northup then proceed to have a discussion regard ding Northup concern upon the distressing of their masters by Elijah’s weeping. Elise: Do you care less about my loss than their wellbeing? Northup: Master Ford is a decent man! Elise: He is a slaver! Northup: under the circumstances Elise: under the circumstances, he is a slaver! Northup perspective allowed him to see past the demands and Dee ads of the institution and into the character’ of his masters.

However r, this was not the typical view held by slaves. The addition of this scene to the plot was ingenious as it established a distinction between n Northup views with those of the average slave. The scene alludes an argument that still debatable in present timeliest of whether the slave holders were truly heartless people. Although there may have been more truth in Northup view of the slave Owen RSI, this does not stop the movie from displaying the ruthlessness of slavery.

The graphics in the movie are known for their brutality as the scenes depict ins lynching and lashing keep displaying endlessly. Yet during latter half of he movie, Unseen’s film transforms a minor confrontational incident in the boo k into an ironical and comical predecessor to one of the fiercest scenes of the m vie. It is the scene where Master Peps Average drunkenly chases Northup with a knife and upon realizing the futility of his attempt apt to harm Northup while drunk, proceeds to remark “is the Lord’s day there is n o sense in us carrying on like this”.

Because that the film has a plethora of physic al cruelty, the transformation of this scene into a laughable, an almost cartoonist chase, provides a moment of comic relief which in turn delivers a g tideway contrast against the following scene: the gruesome scene of Pasty’s lashing. Furthermore, in addition to the juxtaposition of the emotional response sees between Beep’s chase and Patsy’s scene, Peps’ remark serves as an ironical transition that highlights the hypocrisy of his actions. It is the fact that the film to showcases Patsy’s brutal and inhumane lashing immediately after quoting the bible that makes the remark so ironic.

Yet, Unseen’s incorporation of Peps’ remark is meant to also reflect the role that religion played upon the mentality of the slaveholder. Similarly, the mechanics of the scene in which Peps reads the bible to his slab eves also gives insight into the role religion played in the plantations. Having an audience with point of view from those that Northup book address De allows Macaque to emphasize the contrast between the role of religion during the 19th century and the role of religion today.

In the movie, Mac nee illustrated a short scene where Peps is reading the bible to his slaves, but unlike the scenes with Ford, Peps’ preaching adds commentary to the bib local passages in order to defend slavery. This scene is not only presenting a minder of the mentalities of that time period but is also rhetorically e employing the audience’s current beliefs regarding scripture. It tries t o evoke feelings of anger by linking the inhumane cruelty with the loving God that is preached today. It is one of the beauties that can be done n film when the audience holds different perspectives.

It can create a differed NT reaction in the audience even though it is portraying the same scene. Fate r all it is the audience that changes the meaning based on their individual interpretation. Furthermore the movie heavily relies on facial expressions to convey the book’s s intents. Some critics argued that the lack of dialogue demeaned the level of e motional impact experienced by the Average audience. Nevertheless, the expressions remained quite effective in pr evoking deep emotional responses in the audience.

The incorporate ions of on and off muting, zooming, and blurring of the background allowed the audience to carefully contemplate the expressions and feelings of the e character. A great example of such employment occurred during the last c people movie frames, where the camera zooms in upon Northup face which h conveys a feeling of relief and being on the verge of emotionally breaking own. Macaque also shed light upon slaves’ sexuality. It is an argument that is overlook De by most writings and films alike, yet the determination to portray an accurate wholesome account on slavery slaves no room to discard such a relevant theme.

The interaction between Peps and Patsy that originally illustrated the annalistic threat that male owners posed to female slaves. Yet there is a drastic difference in the motives behind bringing up Patsy rape, Beep’s lust and Mrs.. Beep’s rest pones towards her husband’s actions. Northup originally brought up the sex lilt that transferred in plantations to argue that slavery led to sexual immoral lilt because the owners saw their slaves as possessions and not humans.

In the film, the moment when Peps exclaims that Patsy is his property and that men can do as they please with their property, because he finds joy in it, poor trays a very sadistic side of love that has only began to be analyzed in human psychology. It is thus, that Macaque elaborates upon Northup arguments by providing a Freudian explanation to these interactions. The addition of Peps dialogue implies that Peps loves Patsy but due to societal beliefs, Peps can’t empowered his love for her and his frustrations are then channeled by whip ping Patsy.

This perspective of the scene conveys that Peps has a need to rid himself of sin and he does so by punishing Patsy. 12 years a slave was nominated for multiple Oscar awards in 2013 and was widely perceived as one of the best films of the year. The film displays both a beauty in scenery and in plot but what makes it unique are the arguments that Macaque embedded the rough the film. Most critiques of the movies highlight these arguments, claim Eng that the arguments themselves are what makes 12 years a slave such a Average necessary and important film.

Film critic, Chris Vagina, expressed in his critique t hat “Every scene of 12 Years a Slave, and almost every shot, conveys some penetrating truth about Name Erica’s original sin” and claimed that “thoughts and emotions [in the film] ha pen to carry massive historical freight, tied to a subject Holly. ‘dad has n ever really known how to approach”. His review also reflected Unseen’s exploration through the psyche of slave owners when he points out that “The d erector, Steve Macaque, and the screenwriter, John Riddle, don’t care much or generalities.

They’re after acute psychological, physical and historical death l. 12 Years a Slave is a movie of blood and bone, of sweat and shame. It’s a movie of flesh, poked, prodded, slapped and whipped. It’s also a movie of paradoxical beauty, with the weeping willows and painted skies of L suasion mocking the human torment that permeates the story. ” Yet, Vagina is not the only one that makes such claims towards the MO vie. An overwhelming majority of the reviews received by the film all duded these arguments, proving Unseen’s success in transmitting them through his film.