12 Years A Slave

Movie Review

Last Night was date night.  Kids were put to bed by 8:15 which is very early considering we let them stay up til at least 9pm on most nights to have Daddy Time.  

John picked up a movie from Redbox that I have been aching to see since it won so many awards this year for best picture.  Steve McQueen directed this film and I couldn't wait to see it for myself.  It is sadly based on a very true story.  My recommendation for all of you out there, do not watch this on a date night.  It was such a sad and cruel movie about our history's past (which I knew it would be) but seeing it was really difficult at parts.  And definitely not a romantic mood movie.

I think it left both John and I just plain MAD.  How could things like this happen in our country not so long ago.  In the North this man was totally free, and after a week of trickery with two musicians (the main character plaid the fiddle) he ends up being sold into slavery in the South.  A minute ago he was with his beautiful wife, in his home, with his daughter and son, and the next minute he's in a dirty basement outside of DC, with shackles on his hands and feet.

The part of the movie that got to me the most was the beatings and the cruelty, and the rape.  Slaves were seen basically as cattle.  They were sold completely naked, it was awful to see how debase our society was and it was all about making money off of their free labor.  The part that got John the most (I think) was the way they separated families.  I mean young kids were sold separately from their mom and it was devastating to watch.  And once the mom arrived at the new plantation crying over her lost babies, the woman of the house said, "Don't worry your children will soon be forgotten."  I really wanted to smack that lady!  No mother ever would or could forget her children.  No matter how many days, months, years, slip by.

This movie was so well directed and acted, painful at times to watch, but definitely a must see.  Sometimes we have to remember the painful past to step forward into a brighter future.  I am so glad this movie won awards.  It deserved every single one.

I learned that just because the Masters were cruel to the slaves, they had major issues as well, whether it be alcoholism, or just hardened hearts.  It reminded me that we all have this broken/hard heart problem and that we all need a Savior. Every time I saw a scene where a man or a woman, or a child was beaten by the Masters, I thought of Christ.  He took a horrible beating for me.  Because of my sin.  And it made me reflect on the fact that I have the same heart problem that these men had.  The main character of the movie, Solomon, needed a hero, he needed a hero to get him out of slavery.  He needed his papers back in the north which said he was free.  And it made me think how Jesus paid for my freedom with his blood on the cross.  By his stripes we are healed.

This movie was a must see.