12 Years a slave

I watched it & found it horrific, the fact that one Human can own another as 'their property to do with as they wish' was sickening. The original book was from the mid 1800's I think so I doubt it would be easy to stick to it faithfully. The salient facts are there, it was difficult to watch which says it all to me. Well deserving of all the praise it has generated in my opinion. The fact that modern slavery is rife proves that some Humans really do deserve to be called in humane

We weatched it last night & I agree with Rocky. We then watched the tribute to Ali ..... things hadn't really changed that much in the next 100 yrs. Ali won gold & went down town for a meal proudly wearing his medal .... the restaurent said 'we don't serve blacks!'   

Film on tv at the moment .  what a load of rubbish.  propaganda and spin.    Nothing like the book.   I have no time for racism , this was a racist film.

K

I've not read the book, but how can you make a film about racism without showing racism?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion about this film. We saw it when it was in cinemas originally and thought it was excellent and well deserving of all the awards it achieved from those in the know. I don't think it ever claimed to be 100% accurate - it was clearly adapted to retell the story in a fitting format.

What I find slightly curious about the OP is that you expressed exactly the same opinions when there was a thread running at that time. So I can't really understand why you watched it anyway feeling the way you did and then felt the need to post when it was only half way through? Particularly when it clashed with the excellent tribute to Ali on the BBC? 

Slavery is an abomination, there was sheer disregard for human suffering, human dignity and human life. Brutality was the means by which order was kept.

This film was not a true depiction of the horrors of slavery.

It was a typical American version of the facts,  dealing more on romanticism and a pretty storyline and only hinting gently at the lives that those poor slaves led. There was no reference to the real brutality, which was an everyday occurance.

It was a truly horrible existence. .

  The film failed to portray this, therefore as a film I fail to see how it could ever have received an oscar nomination.

K

What you say about slavery is, of course, true, K. But the point is that the film was made with the attention of bringing this abhorrent practice, which still exists in many parts of the world, to as wide an audience as possible. And in that it succeeded. It had 9 Oscar nominationa and won 3 awards and in his accetance speech the director acknowledged what the films strengths and shortcomngs were.

Incidentally, the same Americanisation claim can be made for many recent Oscar winning films, such as The Hurt Locker, Argo and Spotlight. The film industry has an important role to play in educating and informing its audiences. I don't think for a moment it would ever claim to 100% historical accuracy.

It's a story! Much like The Sound of Music. Even in an abhorant, evil time the bittersweet, romantic and sensitive aspects of human nature in adversity can and do still shine! It was not meant to  be documentary or a factumentary, just a story. If one  doesn't  like such things chose another genre.

We saw the film at the cinema and thought it was good, if horrific.

I recently read the book and I have to say, in my view, the film was an unusually good representation of the book.

Slavery still remains as an abomination in modern society.

I suppose the facts of the horrors of Slavery  are a bit too brutal for some to want to see.  So they turn to watchimg pretty pretty romantic versions of the story which conveniently miss out the horrors those poor people had to endure.

The makers of this film missed a great opportunity of reminding the world of the dreadful  misery and brutality of slavery , (an activity which is still going on today)  Perhaps if film makers stopped hiding the real truth,  something might be done to fight this horrible activity. 

Some might say, if you dont like the film - dont watch it. This was  precisely my reaction so I switched channels.

K

I suppose the facts of the horrors of Slavery  are a bit too brutal for some to want to see.  So they turn to watchimg pretty pretty romantic versions of the story which conveniently miss out the horrors those poor people had to endure.

The makers of this film missed a great opportunity of reminding the world of the dreadful  misery and brutality of slavery , (an activity which is still going on today)  Perhaps if film makers stopped hiding the real truth,  something might be done to fight this horrible activity. 

Some might say, if you dont like the film - dont watch it. This was  precisely my reaction so I switched channels.

K

that's extremely presumptuous and a tad sensationalist not to say arguementative. Ask what was the purpose of the film! It's hard to make a film about personal relationships in a time when racism was accepted and suppression part of society and part of the law. The purportrators at that time thought they were right and God blessed in their actions so the film reflected that stance, it would have been wrong to give a false impression of those times and the beliefs held, evil though many of us believe them to be!