I had the DVD of 12 Years a Slave (2013) beside my player for about a week. I dreaded viewing it, certain it would be a politically correct, one note take on the issue. Despite solid production values and stellar performances, this proved to be the case. It was two hours of inhumanity and vileness, followed by 15 minutes of visceral family reunion. It brings nothing new to the table. What is its message? Slavery is evil? Whites should feel guilty about the behavior of slave-owners who lived more than 150 years before them? I've said this before. Issues such as slavery and the Holocaust rarely make good drama. When one faction is so egregiously wrong, it virtually eradicates the conflicts that create the most compelling stories. The film is based on the memoir of its main character, Solomon Northup, who dictated the book to David Wilson in 1853. It was adapted for the screen by John Ridley, who an Oscar. The film received nine nominations, winning also for Best Picture and the heartbreaking performance of supporting actress Lupita N'Yongo, who is matched by the lead, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Their work is the movie's strength. There are appearances by many familiar faces: Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender and Alfre Woodard. It was the third full length feature of Steve McQueen, a Brit, who will be getting more opportunities, as it was a financial as well as critical success, made for 20 million, grossing more than 56 million in the U.S. alone. At IMDb, 222,000+ contributors have rated it 8.2 out of ten. On a scale of five, I rate it three.
Here's an excerpt from a Thomas Sowell article of 2005, Ending Slavery:
"The anti-slavery movement was spearheaded by people who would today be called 'the religious right' and its organization was created by conservative businessmen. Moreover, what destroyed slavery in the non-Western world was Western imperialism. Nothing could be more jolting and discordant with the vision of today's intellectuals than the fact that it was businessmen, devout religious leaders and Western imperialists who together destroyed slavery around the world. And if it doesn't fit their vision, it is the same to them as if it never happened. As anti-slavery ideas eventually spread throughout Western civilization, a worldwide struggle pitted the West against Africans, Arabs, Asians and virtually the entire non-Western world, which still saw nothing wrong with slavery. But Western imperialists had gunpowder weapons first and that enabled the West to stamp out slavery in other societies as well as in its own. The New York Times tried to suggest that the ban against the international slave trade somehow served British self-interest. But John Stuart Mill, who lived in those times, said that the British 'for the last half-century have spent annual sums equal to the revenue of a small kingdom in blockading the Africa coast, for a cause in which we not only had no interest, but which was contrary to our pecuniary interest.' It was a worldwide epic struggle, full of dramatic and sometimes violent episodes, along with inspiring stories of courage and dedication. But do not expect Hollywood to make a movie about anything so contrary to their vision of the world."
My thanks to the kind folks who purchased books today, especially the Russian woman who overpaid for two Danielle Steele hardcover romances.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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