Film Analysis: Example, Topics, & Essay Writing

Running head: FILM ANALYSIS
Film Analysis
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FILM ANALYSIS
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Liberty and individualism are the two cornerstone of the American culture. However, it
was not until the independence that the fundamental rights of the each and every one living in the
land of dreams was upheld and revered (Brown 2017). As a result of the British colonialism,
slavery was a widespread practice in America. The oppression and exploitation of the people of
color has smeared the nation’s past, and it constitutes a notable part of the American history.
Nevertheless, cinema is a significant testimony of our history. And the issues of slavery, freedom
and human suffrage have been the central theme of several films of Hollywood. More
specifically, the slave emancipation movies has become a distinct genre. The movie 12 Years a
Slave is an excellent example of such genre. Although a slave movie, the central focus of the
film is freedom. Most importantly, the cinematic representation of emancipation and citizenship
in the movie reminds us the importance of liberty and individualism, indicating to a lesson from
the American history.
12 Years a Slave is a period-drama based on the slave memoir of the same name by
Solomon Northup and directed by Steve McQueen. The movie was nominated for nine
categories of the Academy Awards, winning the best picture, best supporting actress and best
adapted screenplay in 2013. Apart from the Oscar, the Golden Globe, BAFTA and several other
international critics and awards platforms recognized 12 Years a Slave as the best movie of the
year. It is based on the 1853 memoir of Solomon Northup, a musician and a free citizen, who
ends up serving as a slave for 12 long years before becoming free again. Unlike many other slave
movies of Hollywood, director Steve McQueen does not stick to depicting the sufferings of the
black people. He rather makes a careful and sincere comparison between freedom and slavery,
two stark extremes of liberty and human rights. Although, there is an attempt to make the movie

FILM ANALYSIS
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historically accurate, McQueen takes his cinematic liberty to weave his masterful visions and
anecdotes to epitomize freedom in between the storyline.
Solomon Northup, a musician, an educated carpenter lived in New York State with his
family. He was a free man, pursuing an independent vocation and his musical career. By a few
establishing moments, his life as a free man was exquisitely depicted in the opening of the
movie. However, in a shocking series of events, Northup was deceived and kidnapped by two
conmen and sold into slavery in 1841. The conmen, Hamilton and Brown, posed as contractors
for an upcoming musical event, and invited Northup to a restaurant to talk about the program in
detail. Northup, an aspiring violin player, readily accepts their invitation to travel to Washington
D.C. for the short term employment they offered and was very excited for the future. This subtle
reference to his dreams, aspirations and passions is an exquisite indication to individualism and
liberty. A person, enslaved and oppressed, is not free to have such aspirations (Chen, Martell and
Lach 2016).
From that point onwards, Solomon’s story was full of suffering. The incident of
kidnapping and trafficking black people was quiet a common phenomenon at that time. They
were robbed of their lives, their identities and their rights, only to serve as workers and labourers
in the plantations and households of wealthy southerners. Similarly, Solomon was renamed as
Platt and became a property of the plantation owner Ford. Palyed by Benedict Cumberbatch.
However, Ford was a sympathetic and benign master, at whose household Solomon received a
rather sympathetic and tolerable environment. However, he got into a rift with the sadistic
farmhand Tibeats, Solomon was further sold down to another slave owner, Epps, played by
Michael Fassbender, who symbolizes the typical southern characteristics of a slave owner,
psychotic, torturous and sadistic. Moreover, Epps was plagued by his desire for the slave girl