25 October 2013

Everyone should see "12 Years a Slave"

Today, the movie "12 Years a Slave" opened in Philly. I was there for the first matinee screening.

It is the true story of a free-born black man living well in upstate New York who was then kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South prior to the Civil War. The movie is based on the book of the same name, which is a memoir by the actual lead character, Solomon Northup.

The movie was difficult to watch at times, due to the brutal violence and humiliation forced upon the enslaved characters, and I still feel quite shaken. But it is a story that needs to be told. And it is a movie that needs to be seen.

Overall, the filmmakers did a very good job of condensing the book (which I recently read) into a powerful 2-hour film.

It will open nationwide next week. Please see it.

Meantime, you can visit the film's official website here.

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