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12 Years a Slave

Oscar™ Best Picture - Winning Movies

7.3

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Original title

12 Years a Slave (Twelve Years a Slave)

Year

2013

Running time

133 min.

Country

United States

Director

Steve McQueen

Screenwriter

John Ridley. Biography: Solomon Northup

Cast

Music

Hans Zimmer

Cinematography

Sean Bobbitt

Producer

Summit Entertainment, Plan B Entertainment, River Road Entertainment, Regency Enterprises, Film4 Productions. Distributor: Fox Searchlight

Genre

Drama | Based on a true story. Biography. Slavery. Racism. 19th Century. Historical

Synopsis

Based on a true story, 12 YEARS A SLAVE is a riveting account of a free black man kidnapped and sold into brutal slavery in mid-1850s Louisiana, and the inspiring story of his desperate struggle to return home to his family. Solomon Northup, an educated black man with a gift for music, lives with his wife and children in New York. One day he awakens to find he has been drugged and being shipped to the South as a slave. Refusing to abandon hope, Solomon watches helplessly as those around him succumb to violence, crushing emotional abuse and hopelessness.

Rankings Position

#59 Best Biopics/Biographical Movies
#65 Best Movies Based on a True Story

Awards: 2013: 3 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Screenplay and Supp. Actress. 9 nominations

2013: Golden Globes: Best Film (Drama). 7 nominations, including Best Director

2013: Toronto Film Festival: Best Film

2013: David di Donatello Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Film

2013: BAFTA Awards: Best Film & Best Actor (Ejiofor). 10 nominations

2013: Critics Choice: 3 awards, including Best Film. 13 nominations.

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Critics' reviews

"The genius of '12 Years a Slave' is its insistence on banal evil, and on terror, that seeped into souls, bound bodies and reaped an enduring, terrible price."

Manohla Dargis: The New York Times
"You won't be able to tuck this powder keg in the corner of your mind and forget it. What we have here is a blistering, brilliant, straight-up classic. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of four)"

Peter Travers: Rolling Stone
"This epic account of an unbreakable soul makes even Scarlett O’Hara’s struggles seem petty by comparison (...) Composition, sound design and story all cut together beautifully"

Peter Debruge: Variety
"The harrowing '12 Years a Slave' is a mesmerizing period drama for the ages. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of four)"

Claudia Puig: USA Today
"A strong, involving, at times overstated telling of an extraordinary life story"

Todd McCarthy: The Hollywood Reporter
"'12 Years a Slave' is a mesmerizing triumph of art and polemics: McQueen turns a topic rendered distant by history into an experience that (...) makes you feel as if you've been there."

Eric Kohn: IndieWire
"Britain's Steve McQueen (...) nails the horror of America's slavery shame but also finds humanity in one man's determination to free himself and return to his family. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of four)"

Peter Howell: Toronto Star
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Ranking Lists Position

5 My Top 10 Movies from 2013 (760)
32 My Favorite Biopics/Biographical Movies (57)
74 My 10 Favorite Movies of the Decade (2010-2019) (56)
78 Best Movies I've Seen in Theaters Lately (25)
82 Movies with a Great Male Lead (61)
87 My Favorite Dramas (165)

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12 Years a Slave

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