Perspectives

Reception and criticism

The film 12 Years a Slave directed by Steve McQueen came out in cinemas in November 2013 and was quite well received by both the public and critics alike. Reviews praised the film’s topic, cinematography, and acting, most agreeing that the story was told in an effective manner. The Guardian gave the film the highest rating and strongly recommended cinema-goers to watch it. The article stated that the film managed to “elevate, educate and ultimately ennoble the viewer by presenting them with something that is visceral, truthful and electrifyingly ‘real’ ”. Similarly, The New York Times appreciated the story’s honest treatment of slavery and calls it an “at once a familiar, utterly strange and deeply American story.”

However, some people criticized several aspects of the film. An article in The Village Voice considers that the film lacks any real emotion and places more value on rendering artistically beautiful scenes than on highlighting the brutalities of slavery. An article in The Slate praised the main lead’s acting skills and the way the story is constructed, but considered that the focus on a single individual who managed to obtain his happy ending distrac...