It's an important movie. But, it's not a movie that I enjoyed. Of course, it's no fun watching a human be so grossly mistreated for 2 hours (think "Passion of Christ). Perhaps this will be the Amistad or Roots for the newer generations, but a lot of us are familiar with film versions of this material.
True to its title, the film spends very little time portraying Solomon as a free man. Within 5 minutes of film time, he's nabbed into slavery and only 5 minutes before the end he's returned to freedom. Given that this is a 2+ hour film, I would have been just as interested in knowing more about him apart from his mistreatment. What sort of fellow was he before being enslaved? What did he think of Southern slavery? How did that traumatic event change him? How did it change his view of slavery, his politics, etc. Yes, there are a few sentences of epilogue -- but I would have preferred an hour devoted to his family life in early 1800's America as free men and a second hour portraying his life after the slavery. I want to see how those 12 years changed him, and I want to see what kind of work he did as an abolitionist afterwards.
Of course, the film does have its moments. The cinematography is nice, the score is mostly good, but at times can be sorely heavy-handed (especially in the opening sequence). The acting is quite uneven -- some is stellar, some is below average. And lastly, I'm very curious about Brad Pitt's character. An abolitionist in Georgia … speaking his mind? Really? Did that sort of thing happen? And he gets to keep his job? I'm surprised, that's all. And would like to know more about that.
-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --
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