Are you hoping to see the acclaimed film 12 Years a Slave? It was a favourites of the Toronto International Film Festival with both critics and viewers and it has received positive reviews everywhere. As the title suggests, it tells the story a 19th century American slave, Solomon Northrup, and is based on the autobiographical account of a free black man who is essentially kidnapped and forced into slavery. While the film is violent at times, apparently that aspect is actually played down from Northrup's book.
I saw a piece on Religion and Ethics Newsweekly which explores the themes of this film, including the place of religion in perpetuating slavery and giving strength to those enduring and opposing it. It has been noted that having a person of colour as the director (Steve McQueen) and another as the star (Chiweti Eliofor) brings a different perspective to the dark stain of American slavery. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/ 12 Years a Slave has also been contrasted with Django Unchained, last year's uber-violent story of revenge which is built around slavery. I didn't see it, and I won't.
I mentioned a few years ago the sobering experience of visiting the Old Slave Mart museum in Charleston South Carolina situated in a building which was once a slave floor, where human beings were bought and sold. We should also keep in mind that there are an estimated 30 million slaves in the world today, half of them in India.
Any thoughts about this film? Any reflections about the nature of slavery and religion's part in supporting it?
6 comments:
Very good movies, both of them.
Would love to see this movie. Have heard wonderful reviews. A friend attempted to see it this past weekend, and someone in the theatre started to make comments out loud, he said the audience ran as it could have got ugly. Interesting that this can draw such emotions from people.
There is an interesting documentary series on WNED TV (Channel 2 here in Quinte country) on the history of slavery in North America - watched it at 4 am this morning when I was wide awake ! Very good information about slavery - George Washington, the champion of American freedom, owned slaves, but did not see fit to extend it to the black slaves he owned ...
Oops - channel 5 - "African Americans" - next segment on Tuesday, October 29, at 8 pm...
As a fellow Christian and an African-American, I'm so glad to have found your blog. I saw 12 Years yesterday as it is running in limited release in my neck of the woods.
The movie moved me in ways I cannot fully describe. I had read somewhere that people were seen leaving the movie in tears, so I'm glad I had tissues with me, as I definitely needed them. There were several scenes throughout the movie that gripped my heart, but the one that stood out the most is when Solomon's friend comes to rescue him. I wanted so much to applaud, but only silently clapped so I wouldn't ruin the moment for others in the theater. The more I reflect on that scene, the more it reminds me of Jesus coming to claim and rescue us from the grip and slavery of sin, and the enemy of our souls who not only wants to keep us under his dominion, but ultimately see to our final destruction along with his own.
Of course, Solomon's tender and sweet reunion with his family was extremely moving. It reminds me of the reunion that all true followers of Christ will share with their loved ones who are now asleep in the Lord. Just as in the movie, the great ending made it worth enduring the painful scenes that led up to it, so it will be for each of us when we finally see Jesus! May God be praised.
Thanks all. Carmen, I sat next to a young African American woman when I saw 12 Years in NYC this past weekend. As a white male I was moved and unsettled by her tears as the film concluded. We found it very powerful as well.
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