Now, I really don't do reviews on movies for the most part; movies are not my thing, I can't express fully what they mean the way a true movie critic would. The only part that I can talk about with any real certainty is writing. That's why I'm writing about 12 Years a Slave.
Now, I haven't read the book yet, but I have just seen the Oscars and seen all the epic things that the Academy has bestowed on him. Now, with some of it, it could be because the book was a time piece, or because the awards given to Black characters that were playing slaves, but that's more a topic that this blog covers, remarkably well. She can probably explain it better than I can.
I was first excited about this movie because I heard that it was based on an autobiography, and a true story. Now for me, there's nothing like a true story. I really love them. The last full length one that I read was the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, which was totally epic. Most recently, I've been reading random slave narratives, and my current novel is W.E.B Du Bois' "The Souls of Black Folks". As soon as I'm done, I will write its review. But my review is about 12 Years, or rather, the Oscars giving this movie its due. I just read that 12 Years is the first film with a Black director to win the highest honor in the history of the Academy. For some reason I'm really not surprised that, but I am rather disgusted that he is the first. Why do their have to be firsts. It's just... damn, if he was the first, what of other ethnicity? According to what I just read, the Best Director Winner was the first Latin Male to win. Have they had people win for things like this? I don't think so, and that's even sadder. Then again, I have to remember, other ethnicity people have only been considered humans to the White majority for, oh say, 50 years, give or take. Some can argue that it's not fully the case, with proof...
Damn it, I'm digressing to race again.
I have to keep on track that this blog is about writing, reading, characters and things of that nature. As of right now, I should focus on how Lupita obviously did an amazing job bringing Patsy to life. Or rather, back to life.
When watching the commercial, and recently reading articles earlier, I found out the context behind the scene (I'm not going to give a spoiler, but I will say that it's described in the blog that I posted to earlier), and why she was so emotional. That, and she is portraying a REAL PERSON. Patsy would not be known at all if it wasn't for Solomon Northup writing about her. She would have just been another slave woman lost to history.
But because of Mr. Northup's writing, she's actually a person, she is fleshed out, she is given flesh again, and her pain now something that can be seen, and we all know how important sight is for people nowadays. She is more than just some text, or a slave narrative spoken by someone. We were able to see something akin to what she went through, the torture that was all too frequent for slave women. Ms. Nyong'o gave her flesh again (I feel calling her Lupita is far too personal, considering I'm just a blogging fan).
It's not often that someone is really made a person again, especially in something like a movie, but this seems to be a stand out movie. Now, considering that I haven't read the stories of Mr. Northup, nor have I seen the movie yet, this is totally biased just because of my excitement. Its' things like these that are small victories, as a woman, as a writer, especially when the screen play adaptation WON another of the big Academy Awards. That's so fucking brilliant.
After I watch the movie, and read the book, this will be updated with parts two and three.
I'm so very excited. This is brilliant
No comments:
Post a Comment