Movie watching : 12 years a slave

It is pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a professional musician, husband, father and free black man from New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. 12 tortuous years follow as he struggles to both stay alive and keep his dignity until the day he comes across a Canadian abolititionist who will help him.

I really hope this movie wins best picture at the Oscars. Yes, it was harrowing and I had to turn my face away a couple of times away but it was really worth it. This is a masterpiece of the cinema and the first movie to really touch that shameful period of American (and  yes, please don't forget European) history, slavery. (A lot of the grand architectural treasures to be found in the UK, including, closer to home, Harewood House was built with sugar money from the Caribbean plantations.) What I don't really understand is that it has taken so long for a movie to be made that really touches on this subject. That in itself is quite shocking (think how many Jewish holocaust themed movies there are in comparison?).

But back to the movie, I can't give enough praise to the all-star cast especially Brit, Chiwetel Ejiofor. I really hope he picks up best actor. Every single character in this movie could be studied in detail. How many The cinematography, the music by Hans Zimmer, all are perfect. It brings up so many questions I don't think I can ever stop thinking about this movie.

10/10.