American Slavery : “12 Years a Slave” Movie Review

Being into documentary drama movies, I have chosen to write about American slavery back in 1619-1865. Documentary drama movies have own characteristics as any other genre, i.e., the narrative story based on real events of one or more people. It is usually a story of lifespan, a person’s emotions/feelings along with his life experience in particular instances.

Slavery serves a significant meaning in social psychology. It does not only tell about enslavement in general in such terrible conditions, but also about slaves’ inner world, discrimination/racism, unfair attitude, constant insults, and desire for changes. Grasping the core meaning of segregation and tyranny, one can trace the impact on human beings’ lives and their shaken self-esteem in these circumstances.

The movies I have chosen to illustrate this aspect of social psychology are:

I have chosen 12 Years a Slave, because the main hero, New-Yorker and free African-American Solomon Northup, shows his dignity during all this period. Despite the fact he was kidnapped and sold to white Americans being a slave, he serves humanity to his fellows. Struggling during the time of enslavement, he found some friends among other slaves as well, which is absurd for owners. Meanwhile, Solomon misses his wife and children and hopes to meet them soon. It shows his strength and determination about the brightest future.

The second chosen movie The Birth of a Nation is also spectacular. The main character, Nat Turner, is the most intelligent among all slaves and his owner seems to appeal him because he hopes that Nat will help him to pull in more people to his activity and get more money. In the same breath, Nat, seeing all tortures his fellows face on a daily basis, he decides to lead them during the battle on South with the hope to free every slave. His confidence and faith in God make him one of the brightest and the most courageous human being in the history of slavery.

The movie A Woman Called Moses is one of the best one illustrating slavery and the willingness of justice.  The main character Harriet Tubman is born a slave and spends all her life on defending her fellows and achieving equal rights to African-Americans. I consider this movie as one of the most fantastic revealing the pain of black Africans’ slavery period.

12 years a slave is the story of the free citizen of the United States – Solomon Northup. He is one of the smartest citizens in his city (Saratoga Springs, NY). He has a lovely family who he adores and likes spending time with. Solomon itself says, “I was born a free man living with my family in New York till the day I was deceived” (McQueen & Pitt et al., 2013). Being a famous musician, he gets an invitation to be a part of the tour with the circle in Washington. After the feast, he faints, and wakes up on the following morning with chains on his body and wearing only underwear. He still does not realize that his so-called fellows sell him as a slave named “Platt.”

Since this day, Solomon “Platt” Northup has been enslaved for twelve years. He travels from one place and owner to other ones as a puppet. He faces unhuman attitude from white people since they consider him and his mates as nothing in this community. Solomon does not only serve white people and prone to obey them, but they force him to forget his name, i.e., forget his identity, himself.

Throughout the movie, he tries to survive, help others to believe in the brightest future, fights for justice. Solomon shows the high-profile figure and a decent hero. At it makes everyone shiver once one realizes that this entire story bases on real events. With the help of one kind man, he writes a letter to his friends so that they can send his ID. Eventually, he becomes released and comes back home after twelve years, where all his family waits for his return.

The entire plot makes heart hurt and body tremble. However, not only Solomon is prone to get torture and disdainful attitude from monsters, but also he becomes a victim of causing someone pain. After having settled in the house of new owner Edwin Epps, Solomon meets a girl Patsey, who deals with daily sexual assault by the owner, and befriends her. One day she asks Solomon to kill her as she cannot stand this nightmare anymore, though he refuses instantly. Later on this day, she disappears somewhere, and Epps flies off the handle. On the Patsey’s return, Epps orders Solomon to beat her up with chains. With tears in his eyes, he wants to refuse, but Epps forces him pointing the gun. Epps shouts out, “You will strike her or I will kill every nigger in my side. You understand me? Strike her!” (McQueen & Pitt et al., 2013). Both Patsey and Solomon realize that there is no way out of this situation. Later, Epps himself tortures her as the sign of his property. This scene relates to the tyranny of Epps and the inner courage of Solomon on the way to save everyone by hitting Patsey. 

Solomon’s action toward himself and others has the title as “will to survive.” It implies that a person has entirely different feelings and thoughts once he/she appears in extremal or terrible situations. Moreover, white people owning black Africans refers to the need of power, i.e., the desire to influence and control someone. One can see segregation and prevail of Epps toward all his slaves, especially Solomon and Patsey.

Before enslavement, Solomon lives his life with family and does not think of anything negative. However, once he becomes a slave, his instinct to survival opens, and he tries to think about every possibility to change his situation and take any steps forward. First times he fails to accept that he is Platt, though later he pretends to be him to survive in the hands of tyrants.

Regarding the need for power, it is apparent in Epps actions, as he thinks that he owns every black person and he can do whatever he wants at any time. It means that he is so deep in his influence on others that he does not distinguish between right and wrong.

The Birth of a Nation serves a significant role in the time of enslavement. Nat Turner is a slave of a white man (Samuel Turner) who believes that Nat can help him to suppress some slaves. Nat is intelligent and religious. At first, he agrees to help Turner and comes with him to sheds filled with slaves and speaks out against their unwillingness to help their owner. However, Nat sees the pain in slaves’ eyes and pleading by helping them out. Following his heart, he refuses Turner’s proposal.  As the result, the owner starts beating him up with ropes till blood for non-obeying him. Full of injustice, Nat cooperates with his fellows and raises the riot against white people. They kill almost 60 white men whereas white nation kills more than 120 black men everywhere (even those who are not the members of the uprising). He hides for two years, though later white people find him, sentence him to death, and hang.

The scene that impresses me the most is when Nat tells to slaves to sing a song for Lord. He says, “I pray you’ll sing to the Lord, a new song… Praise the Lord, sing to Him!” (Parker & Parker et al., 2016). The owner expects Nat to force slaves to obey him, not God. He is no longer speaks to slaves on behalf of Samuel Turner and his partners, yet he encourages people to believe in him as a hero for justice. After these powerful words, Nat along with other slaves cry out loud as they realize that only God can help them against white people.

Nat’s actions can be explained by rebellion. He tries to defend not only himself but the entire nation from slavery. It means he fights against norms and rules that Samuel Turner applies to all his slaves.

Throughout the movie, Nat Turner realizes that he should not lose his identity and assists self and others to survive this battle. In the very first beginning, he serves his owner and is a preacher, though, after a horrible scene of torture, he realizes everything. Thus he becomes a rebel since he works out a plan against Samuel Turner and the whole white nation. Nat with his team creates own norms and principles and follow them, though the victory was not on their side.

Harriet Tubman is an escaped slave in Maryland who tries to win justice for other African-American slaves of the Northern states. Being a child, her owner punishes her and uses violence against her by beating her up and throwing stones onto her. Later Harriet escaped from Philadelphia, though she comes back shortly to save her family since she cannot live without them. She tries to rescue them one by one and transfers them out of Maryland. Later, Harriet works out on the Underground Railroad (i.e., the network of routes which slaves used for escape from enslavement to free states of the USA and Canada).  With this successful plan, she tries to save all enslaved African-Americans. With the help of Frederick Douglas (former slave), the movie ends with the arrival of Harriet with other fellows to Canada.

The scene between Harriet Tubman and her owner is full of odd feelings. In the very beginning, he treats her quite well and does not show violence as it usually happens with slaves. He even admires her determination and allows work, though he humiliates her at the end of this “honor.” The owner forces her to put on the mule harness and drag the loaded wagon to collapse whereas the nobleman laughs and welcomes make fun of her from the slope. It is the moment of unbearable sorrow and embarrassment. This moment directly refers to discrimination, though it makes Harriet later stronger and she has more motivation to depose such brutal people and save her nation.

Tubman’s behavior and challenges are related to social equality. Being a natural-born slave in the USA, she deals with violence and racism from white people and then further builds her own vision. Social equality spreads inside her body, and she becomes a hero for fighting.

Being an advocate of equality, it becomes puzzling for her to save the nation from the hands of monsters. Though, Harriet Tubman maps out new things on a daily basis and protects many of African-American due to Underground Railroad. She proves that it is possible to achieve social equality with incentive, faith in God, and belief in own strength.

Ultimately, it becomes apparent that documentary drama movies are full of real-life events. One can feel empathy for victims of enslavement period, and one can understand that equality is the most significant matter in the Universe.

The chosen movies “12 Years a Slave,” “The Birth of a Nation,” and “A Woman Called Moses” reveal the sad truth of slavery in 1619-1865. In fact, all three movies have the concept of social psychology, which is racism, the will to survive in challenging conditions, rebellion, and social equality. It is also crucial to understand the core meaning of segregation and how severely it may affect one’s mind and mental state in the future.

Therefore, the three movies successfully encompass the social issue in the past and teach everyone to eliminate such prejudices and cruel attitude to any human being.

References

Jaffe, H., Jaffe, M., and Jones, I. (Producers) & Wendkos, P. (Director). (2001). A Woman Called Moses [DVD]. Original release date: 1978. United States: NBC.

Parker, N., Turen, K. et al. (Producers) & Parker, N. (Director). (2016). The Birth of a Nation [Motion Picture]. United States & Canada: Bron Studios, Mandalay Picture et al.

Pitt, B., Gardner, D., et al. (Producers) & McQueen, S. (Director). (2013). 12 Years a Slave [Motion Picture]. United States & United Kingdom: Summit Entertainment, Regency Enterprises et al.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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