12 Years a Slave (film)

2013 film directed by Steve McQueen April 2019 12 Years a Slave 12 Years a Slave film poster.jpg Theatrical release poster Steve McQueen Brad Pitt Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner Bill Pohlad Steve McQueen Arnon Milchan Anthony Katagas John Ridley Twelve Years a Slave Solomon Northup Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Benedict Cumberbatch Paul Dano Paul Giamatti Lupita Nyong'o Sarah Paulson Brad Pitt Alfre Woodard Hans Zimmer Sean Bobbitt Joe Walker Regency Enterprises River Road Entertainment Plan B Entertainmenthttps://catalog.afi.com/Film/69781-12-YEARS-A-SLAVE 12 Years a Slave (2013) AFI Catalog of Feature Films December 26, 2022 Film4 Fox Searchlight Pictures (United States) Entertainment One (United Kingdom) Summit Entertainment (Overseas)McNary Dave Summit inks int'l deals on 2 pics https://variety.com/2011/more/news/summit-inks-int-l-deals-on-2-pics-1118046167/ Variety Penske Business Media October 27, 2013 November 15, 2011 2013 08 30 Telluride Film Festival 2013 11 08 United States 2014 01 10 United Kingdom 134 minuteshttps://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/12-years-a-slave-film-qxnzzxq6vlgtodcxndkz https://web.archive.org/web/20220416171106/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/12-years-a-slave-film-qxnzzxq6vlgtodcxndkz dead April 16, 2022 12 Years a Slave (15) British Board of Film Classification February 19, 2014 United StatesUnited Kingdom12 Years a Slave (2013) British Film Institute February 18, 2023 https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5282cb0a09df8 https://web.archive.org/web/20161012092040/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5282cb0a09df8 dead October 12, 2016Luxembourg English $20–22 millionhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Embeds/2013%20Feature%20Study%20Corrected%20no%20Watermark%5B2%5D.pdf 2013 Feature Film Production Report The Hollywood Reporter January 2, 2017 April 21, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180421215304/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Embeds/2013%20Feature%20Study%20Corrected%20no%20Watermark%5B2%5D.pdf dead $187.7 millionhttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=twelveyearsaslave.htm 12 Years a Slave (2013) Box Office Mojo August 10, 2014 12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical historical drama film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by John Ridley, based on the 1853 slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a Black American, who was kidnapped from Washington, D.C. by two conmen in 1841 and sold into slavery. He was put to work on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before being released. The first scholarly edition of David Wilson's version of Northup's story was co-edited in 1968 by Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon. Toplin Robert Brent 1969 Twelve Years a Slave (review) Civil War History 15 1 66 10.1353/cwh.1969.0065 144769266 In the film, Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup. Supporting roles are portrayed by Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, Lupita Nyong'o, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Alfre Woodard. Principal photography took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from June 27 to August 13, 2012. The locations used were four historic antebellum plantations: Felicity, Bocage, Destrehan, and Magnolia. Of the four, Magnolia is nearest to the actual plantation where Northup was held. 12 Years a Slave received widespread critical acclaim and was named the best film of 2013 by several media outlets and critics. It earned over $187 million on a production budget of $22 million. The film received nine Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay for Ridley, and Best Supporting Actress for Nyong'o. The Best Picture win made McQueen the first Black producer to ever receive the award and the first Black director of a Best Picture winner.https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/sign-of-the-times/article5747033.ece Sign of the times The Hindu March 4, 2014 March 12, 2014Lacob Jace '12 Years A Slave' Wins Best Picture Oscar At 86th Annual Academy Awards https://www.buzzfeed.com/jacelacob/12-years-a-slave-wins-best-picture-and-makes-oscars-history March 13, 2014 BuzzFeed March 2, 2014 The film was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts recognized it with the BAFTA Awards for Best Film and Best Actor for Ejiofor. Since its release, the film has been cited as among the best of the 2010s, the 21st century, and of all time, with it being named the 44th greatest film since 2000 in a BBC poll of 177 critics in 2016 and the 51st best film of the 21st century in a New York Times poll of over 500 filmmakers in 2025.http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films The 21st Century's 100 greatest films BBC August 23, 2016 October 14, 2016https://variety.com/lists/best-movies-of-all-time/ The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time Peter Debruge Owen Gleiberman Lisa Kennedy Jessica Kiang Tomris Laffly Guy Lodge Amy Nicholson December 21, 2022https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/best-movies-21st-century.html The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century June 23, 2025 In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant", making it the ninth film designated in its first year of eligibility and the 49th Best Picture Academy Award winner to be inducted.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/arts/apollo-13-bamboozled-national-film-registry.html 'Apollo 13' and 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Join National Film Registry The New York Times December 13, 2023 Bahr Sarah Plot left|thumb|The Edwin Epps House, now located on the ground of Louisiana State University of Alexandria, is a stop along Northup's Trail. Solomon Northup and Samuel Bass helped build the house that was completed in 1852. Solomon Northup is a free African-American man in 1841, working as a violinist and living with his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, New York. Two white men, Brown and Hamilton, offer him short-term employment as a musician in Washington, D.C.; instead, they drug him and deliver him to James H. Birch, the owner of a slave pen. Northup proclaims his freedom, only to be violently beaten and tortured. He is shipped to New Orleans with other slaves, who tell him he must adapt to survive in the South. Slave trader Theophilus Freeman gives Northup the identity of "Platt," a runaway slave from Georgia, and sells him to plantation owner William Ford. Ford takes a liking to Northup and gives him a violin. Tensions between Northup and plantation carpenter John Tibeats break when Northup defends himself from Tibeats and beats him with his whip. Tibeats and his men prepare to lynch Northup but are stopped by the overseer. Northup is left on tiptoes with the noose around his neck for hours before Ford arrives and cuts him down. Northup tells Ford that he is, in fact, a free man, but Ford has debts to settle and sells him to plantation owner Edwin Epps. Epps is abusive and sadistic to his slaves. Northup meets Patsey, a favored slave and Epps's top cotton picker. Epps regularly rapes Patsey, and his jealous wife abuses her. Cotton worms destroy Epps's crops, so he leases his slaves to neighbor Judge Turner's plantation for the season. Turner favors Northup and allows him to fiddle at a celebration and keep his earnings. Northup returns to Epps and pays white field hand and former overseer Armsby to mail a letter to his friends in New York. Armsby takes the money but betrays him. Epps questions and threatens Northup, who convinces him that Armsby is lying. Northup burns the letter. Patsey is caught by Epps going to a neighboring plantation to acquire soap, as Mrs. Epps will not let her have any. Epps orders Northup to whip Patsey, which he reluctantly does. Epps demands he strike her harder, eventually taking the whip and beating Patsey nearly to death. Enraged over his actions, Northup destroys his violin. He begins constructing a gazebo with Canadian laborer Samuel Bass. Bass, citing his Christian faith, strongly opposes slavery and castigates Epps. Northup reveals his kidnapping to Bass and asks for his help in sending a letter. The local sheriff arrives, and Northup recognizes his companion as Mr. Parker, a shopkeeper he knew in New York. As they embrace, Epps tries to prevent Northup from leaving, but is rebuffed. Northup bids farewell to Patsey and rides off to his freedom. Northup returns home to reunite with his wife and children. His daughter, who is now married, introduces his grandson and namesake, Solomon Northup Staunton. He apologises for his appearance, having had "a difficult time", and weeps as his family comforts him. An epilogue recounts Northup's unsuccessful lawsuits against Brown, Hamilton, and Birch; the 1853 publication of Northup's slave narrative memoir, Twelve Years a Slave; his role in the abolitionist movement; and the absence of information regarding his death and burial. Cast Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup / Platt Kelsey Scott as Anne Northup Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps Benedict Cumberbatch as William Ford Paul Dano as John Tibeats Garret Dillahunt as Armsby Paul Giamatti as Theophilus Freeman Scoot McNairy as Merrill Brown Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey Adepero Oduye as Eliza Sarah Paulson as Mary Epps Brad Pitt as Samuel Bass Michael Kenneth Williams as Robert Alfre Woodard as Mistress Harriet Shaw Chris Chalk as Clemens Ray Taran Killam as Abram Hamilton Bill Camp as Ebenezer Radburn J. D. Evermore as Chapin Christopher Berry as James H. Birch Rob Steinberg as Mr. Parker Bryan Batt as Judge Turner Tom Proctor as Biddee Jay Huguley as Sheriff Storm Reid as Emily Quvenzhané Wallis as Margaret Northuphttps://collider.com/quvenzhane-wallis-twelve-years-a-slave-image/ Set Photo Confirms Beasts of the Southern Wild Star Quvenzhane Wallis Has Joined Steve McQueen's Twelve Years a Slave Chitwood Adam Collider August 2, 2012 Collider.com June 24, 2014 Dwight Henry as Uncle Abramhttp://www.firstshowing.net/2012/beasts-star-dwight-henry-also-in-mcqueens-twelve-years-a-slave/ Beasts Star Dwight Henry Also in McQueen's Twelve Years a Slave Billington Alex June 26, 2012 Collider.com December 8, 2014 Historical accuracy African-American history and culture scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. was a consultant on the film.Henry Louis Gates Jr. https://aaas.fas.harvard.edu/people/henry-louis-gates-jr 2021-06-26 aaas.fas.harvard.edu en Researcher David Fiske, a co-author of Solomon Northup: The Complete Story of the Author of Twelve Years a Slave, provided some material used to market the film.David Fiske https://www.britannica.com/contributor/David-Fiske/9487983 2021-06-26 Encyclopedia Britannica enCieply Michael September 22, 2013 An Escape From Slavery, Now a Movie, Has Long Intrigued Historians https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/business/media/an-escape-from-slavery-now-a-movie-has-long-intrigued-historians.html November 19, 2013 The New York Times Emily West, an associate professor of history at the University of Reading who specializes in the history of slavery in the U.S., said she had "never seen a film represent slavery so accurately".Historian at the Movies: 12 Years a Slave reviewed http://www.historyextra.com/feature/historian-movies-12-years-slave-reviewed January 13, 2014 History Extra Reviewing the film for History Extra, the website of BBC History Magazine, she wrote: "The film starkly and powerfully unveiled the sights and sounds of enslavement – from slaves picking cotton as they sang in the fields, to the crack of the lash down people's backs. We also heard a lot about the ideology behind enslavement. Masters such as William Ford and Edwin Epps, although very different characters, both used an interpretation of Christianity to justify their ownership of slaves. They believed the Bible sanctioned slavery, and that it was their 'Christian duty' to preach the scriptures to their slaves." Scott Feinberg wrote in The Hollywood Reporter about a September 22 article in The New York Times that "dredged up and highlighted a 1985 essay by another scholar, James Olney, that questioned the 'literal truth' of specific incidents in Northup's account and suggested that David Wilson, the white amanuensis to whom Northup had dictated his story, had taken the liberty of sprucing it up to make it even more effective at rallying public opinion against slavery."Feinberg Scott Oscar Whisper Campaigns: The Slurs Against '12 Years,' 'Captain Phillips,' 'Gravity' and 'The Butler' https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/12-years-a-slave-gravity-650261 The Hollywood Reporter November 19, 2013 October 23, 2013https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/business/media/an-escape-from-slavery-now-a-movie-has-long-intrigued-historians.html An Escape From Slavery, Now a Movie, Has Long Intrigued Historians Cieply Michael The New York Times September 22, 2013 November 19, 2013 Olney had observed that "slave autobiographies, when read one next to another, display an "overwhelming sameness." That is, though the autobiography by definition suggests a unique and personal story, that slave narratives present a genre of autobiographies that tell essentially the same story. There is a distinct repetitiveness when read in conjunction, as in this anthology. While this repetitiveness disallows the creativity and shaping of one's personal story, as Olney argues, it was equally important for slave narratives to follow a form that corroborated with the stories of others to create a collective picture of slavery as it then existed. In fact, the "same" form presented in all of these unique and individual stories created a powerful and resounding message of the consistent evils of slavery and the necessity of its demise.Introduction http://slavenarrativeanthology.weebly.com/introduction.html 2021-06-26 Every Tone a Testimony: An Anthology of Slave Narratives A journal article published by The Johns Hopkins University Press and written by Sam Worley states that "Northup's narrative, though well known, has often been treated as a narrative of the second rank, albeit one with an unusually exciting and involving story as well as, thanks to the research of its modern editors, Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon, one with considerable historical value."Worley Sam 1997 Solomon Northup and the Sly Philosophy of the Slave Pen https://www.jstor.org/stable/3299309 Callaloo 20 1 243–259 10.1353/cal.1997.0035 3299309 161975602 0161-2492 subscription Noah Berlatsky wrote in The Atlantic about a scene in McQueen's adaptation. Shortly after Northup's kidnapping, he is sent on a slave ship. One of the sailors attempts to rape a female slave, but is stopped by a male slave. "The sailor unhesitatingly stabs and kills [the male slave]", he wrote, stating that "this seems unlikely on its faceslaves are valuable, and the sailor is not the owner. And, sure enough, the scene is not in the book." Berlatsky also states, "the sequence is an effort to present nuance and psychological depthto make the film's depiction of slavery seem more real. But it creates that psychological truth by interpolating an incident that isn't factually true."https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/10/how-em-12-years-a-slave-em-gets-history-right-by-getting-it-wrong/280911/ How 12 Years a Slave Gets History Right: By Getting It Wrong Berlatsky Noah The Atlantic October 28, 2013 November 17, 2013 The visual blog Information is Beautiful deduced that, while taking creative license into account, the film was 88.1% accurate when compared to real-life events, summarizing: "While there are a touch of dramatic license here and there, the most gut-wrenching scenes really happened".Based on a True True Story? Scene-by-scene Breakdown of Hollywood Films https://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/based-on-a-true-true-story/ July 28, 2019 Information Is Beautiful Forrest Wickman of Slate wrote of Northup's book giving a more favorable account of the author's onetime master, William Ford, than the McQueen film. In Northup's own words, "There never was a more kind, noble, candid, Christian man than William Ford," adding that Ford's circumstances "blinded [Ford] to the inherent wrong at the bottom of the system of Slavery." The movie, however, according to Wickman, "frequently undermines Ford."Wickman Forrest How Accurate Is 12 Years a Slave? http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/10/17/_12_years_a_slave_true_story_fact_and_fiction_in_mostly_accurate_movie_about.html Slate November 17, 2013 October 17, 2013 McQueen undercuts Christianity itself as well, in an effort to update the ethical lessons from Northup's story for the 21st century, by holding the institutions of Christianity up to the light for their ability to justify slavery at the time.https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/11/15/in-12-years-a-slave-a-broken-christianity/ https://web.archive.org/web/20131116134303/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/11/15/in-12-years-a-slave-a-broken-christianity/ dead November 16, 2013 In 12 Years a Slave, a broken Christianity Dixon Valerie Elverton The Washington Post November 15, 2013 Northup was a Christian of his time, writing of his former master being "blinded" by "circumstances" that in retrospect meant a racist acceptance of slavery despite being a Christian, a position untenable to Christians nowhttp://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/september-web-only/12-years-slave.html Movies & TV: 12 Years a Slave Christianity Today October 18, 2013 and to Christian abolitionists of the 19th century but not contradictory to Northup himself. Valerie Elverton Dixon in The Washington Post characterized the Christianity depicted in the movie as "broken". Production Development thumb|259x259px|John Ridley in 2013 After meeting screenwriter John Ridley at a Creative Artists Agency screening of Hunger in 2008, director Steve McQueen got in touch with Ridley about his interest in making a film about "the slave era in America" with "a character that was not obvious in terms of their trade in slavery."Thompson Anne John Ridley Talks Writing '12 Years a Slave' and Directing Hendrix Biopic 'All Is by My Side' http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/john-ridley-talks-writing-12-years-a-slave-and-directing-hendrix-biopic-all-is-by-my-side IndieWire Snagfilms October 25, 2013 October 16, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131013203658/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/john-ridley-talks-writing-12-years-a-slave-and-directing-hendrix-biopic-all-is-by-my-side October 13, 2013 dead Developing the idea back and forth, the two did not strike a chord until McQueen's partner, Bianca Stigter, found Solomon Northup's 1853 memoir Twelve Years a Slave. McQueen later told an interviewer: I read this book, and I was totally stunned. At the same time, I was pretty upset with myself that I didn't know this book. I live in Amsterdam where Anne Frank is a national hero, and for me, this book read like Anne Frank's diary but written 97 years before – a firsthand account of slavery. I basically made it my passion to make this book into a film.'12 Years A Slave' Was A Film That 'No One Was Making' https://www.npr.org/2013/10/24/240288057/12-years-a-slave-was-a-film-that-no-one-was-making NPR October 25, 2013 October 24, 2013 After a lengthy development process, Brad Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment backed the project, which eventually helped get financing from various other film studios. The film was officially announced in August 2011 with McQueen to direct and Chiwetel Ejiofor to star as Solomon Northup, a free African-American who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South.Sneider Jeff McQueen tallying '12 Years' at Plan B Variety August 17, 2011 McQueen compared Ejiofor's conduct "of class and dignity" to that of Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte.Truitt Brian https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/06/18/12-years-a-slave-movie-first-look/2429803/ First look: 'Twelve Years a Slave' USA Today June 18, 2013 June 19, 2013 In October 2011, Michael Fassbender (who starred in McQueen's previous films Hunger and Shame) joined the cast.Kroll Justin Duo team on 'Slave' Variety October 12, 2011 In early 2012, the rest of the roles were cast, and filming was scheduled to begin at the end of June 2012.Sneider Jeff Thesps join McQueen's 'Slave' cast Variety May 24, 2012 Kroll Justin Giamatti, Paulson join 'Slave' https://variety.com/2012/film/news/giamatti-paulson-join-slave-1118055057/ Variety October 30, 2013 June 5, 2012 To capture the language and dialects of the era and regions in which the film takes place, dialect coach Michael Buster assisted the cast in altering their speech. The language has a literary quality related to the style of writing of the day and the strong influence of the King James Bible.Scott Mike '12 Years a Slave': Five cool things to know about the New Orleans-shot historical epic http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2013/10/12_years_a_slave_five_cool_thi.html The Times-Picayune October 29, 2013 October 28, 2013 Buster explained: We don't know what slaves sounded like in the 1840s, so I just used rural samples from Mississippi and Louisiana [for actors Ejiofor and Fassbender]. Then for Benedict [Cumberbatch], I found some real upper-class New Orleanians from the '30s. And then I also worked with Lupita Nyong'o, who is Kenyan but she did her training at Yale. So she really shifted her speech so she could do American speech.Lytal Cristy '12 Years a Slave' dialect coach Michael Buster speaks up https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-working-hollywood-dialect-coach-michael-buster-20130929-story.html Los Angeles Times October 29, 2013 September 28, 2013 After both won Oscars at the 86th Academy Awards, it was reported that McQueen and Ridley had been in an ongoing feud over screenplay credit. McQueen reportedly had asked Ridley for shared credit, which he declined. McQueen appealed to Fox Searchlight, which sided with Ridley. Neither thanked the other during their respective acceptance speeches at the event.Sneider Jeff Oscars: '12 Years a Slave' Screenplay Rift Between Steve McQueen, John Ridley Boils Over https://www.thewrap.com/oscars-rift-fight-john-ridley-steve-mcqueen-12-years-a-slave TheWrap March 3, 2014 March 3, 2014 Since the event, Ridley has noted his regret for not mentioning McQueenSacks Ethan '12 Years a Slave' screenwriter John Ridley: I regret not mentioning director Steve McQueen in Oscar speech http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/12-years-slave-writer-regrets-snubbing-director-article-1.1716502 Daily News March 13, 2014 March 10, 2014Child Ben 12 Years a Slave's John Ridley regrets not thanking Steve McQueen at Oscars https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/10/12-years-a-slave-john-ridley-steve-mcqueen-oscars-speech The Guardian March 13, 2014 March 10, 2014 and denied the feud.Schmidlin Charlie John Ridley Says He's "Grateful" For Steve McQueen, Claims Feud With '12 Years A Slave' Director Is Nonexistent http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/john-ridley-says-hes-grateful-for-steve-mcqueen-claims-feud-with-12-years-a-slave-director-is-nonexistent-20140305 The Playlist Indiewire March 13, 2014 March 5, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140313211120/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/john-ridley-says-hes-grateful-for-steve-mcqueen-claims-feud-with-12-years-a-slave-director-is-nonexistent-20140305 March 13, 2014 deadWalker Tim '12 Years A Slave' Oscar tarnished by feud over screenplay https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/12-years-a-slave-oscar-tarnished-by-feud-over-screenplay-9169210.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/12-years-a-slave-oscar-tarnished-by-feud-over-screenplay-9169210.html May 1, 2022 subscription live The Independent March 13, 2014 March 4, 2014 He spoke favorably of working with McQueen, and explained that his sole screenplay credit was due to the rules of the Writers Guild of America.Gettell Oliver '12 Years a Slave' writer John Ridley denies Steve McQueen feud https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-12-years-a-slave-writer-john-ridley-feud-steve-mcqueen-20140310,0,4348222.story Los Angeles Times March 13, 2014 March 10, 2014 McQueen has not commented on the alleged feud. Filming thumb|190px|Director Steve McQueen at the premiere of 12 Years a Slave at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival With a production budget of $22 million,Fuller Graham http://blogs.artinfo.com/cuttingroom/2012/04/30/steve-mcqueens-twelve-years-a-slave-set-to-shine-light-on-solomon-northups-ordeal/ https://web.archive.org/web/20140202155812/http://blogs.artinfo.com/cuttingroom/2012/04/30/steve-mcqueens-twelve-years-a-slave-set-to-shine-light-on-solomon-northups-ordeal/ usurped February 2, 2014 Steve McQueen's 'Twelve Years a Slave' Set to Shine Light on Solomon Northup's Ordeal Art+Auction en-US February 1, 2013 principal photography began in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 27, 2012. After seven weeks,Scott Mike Brad Pitt to shoot '12 Years a Slave' adaptation in New Orleans http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/05/brad_pitt_to_bring_12_years_a.html The Times-Picayune May 3, 2012 February 1, 2013 filming concluded on August 13, 2012.Smith Nigel M. August 13, 2012 'Twelve Years a Slave' Star Paul Giamatti Hints at What to Expect From Steve McQueen's Next Project https://www.indiewire.com/article/twelve-years-a-slave-star-paul-giamatti-hints-at-what-to-expect-from-steve-mcqueens-next-project IndieWire en-US February 1, 2013 As a way to keep down production costs, a bulk of the filming took place around the greater New Orleans area – mostly south of the Red River country in the north of the state, where the historic Northup was enslaved.Horn John October 18, 2013 Steve McQueen films '12 Years a Slave' on familiar territory https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-12-years-a-slave-steve-mcqueen-20131020,0,1741148.story Los Angeles Times en-US October 25, 2013 Among locations used were four historic antebellum plantations: Felicity, Bocage, Destrehan, and Magnolia.Scott Mike September 9, 2013 Following in the real footsteps of '12 Years a Slave' figure Solomon Northup: Mike's Movie Mailbag http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2013/09/following_in_the_real-life_foo.html The Times-Picayune October 25, 2013 Magnolia, a plantation in Schriever, Louisiana, is just a few miles from one of the historic sites where Northup was held. "To know that we were right there in the place where these things occurred was so powerful and emotional," said actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. "That feeling of dancing with ghosts – it's palpable."Sacks Ethan October 13, 2013 No ordinary movie, '12 Years a Slave' is a brutal and honest depiction of America's gravest mistake http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/slavery-scars-article-1.1483980 New York Daily News en-US New York October 27, 2013 Filming also took place at the Columns Hotel and Madame John's Legacy in the French Quarter of New Orleans for the scenes set in Washington D.C.Torbett Melanie 'Twelve Years a Slave' movie has Cenla roots http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20131020/LIFESTYLE/310200008/ October 20, 2013 https://archive.today/20131027100712/http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20131020/LIFESTYLE/310200008/ October 27, 2013 dead The Town Talk en-US October 26, 2013 Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt shot 12 Years a Slave on 35 mm film using both the Arricam LT camera with Cooke S4 anamorphic lenses and the Arricam ST.Desowitz Bill October 18, 2013 Immersed in Movies: Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt Talks '12 Years a Slave' https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/immersed-in-movies-cinematographer-sean-bobbitt-talks-12-years-a-slave-195519/ IndieWire en-US October 26, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131023155400/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/cinematographer-sean-bobbitt-talks-12-years-a-slave?page=1#blogPostHeaderPanel October 23, 2013 liveGiardina Carolyn October 17, 2013 '12 Years a Slave' Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt: Not Letting the Audience Off the Hook https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/12-years-a-slave-cinematographer-649223 The Hollywood Reporter en-US October 26, 2013 "Particularly for a period piece, film gives the audience a definite sense of period and quality," said Bobbitt. "And because of the story's epic nature, widescreen clearly made the most sense. Widescreen means a big film, an epic tale – in this case an epic tale of human endurance."Goldrich Robert October 18, 2013 The Road To Oscar, Part 1: Backstories on 12 Years A Slave And Nebraska http://www.shootonline.com/node/52060 Shoot October 26, 2013 December 28, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131228180605/http://www.shootonline.com/node/52060 dead The filmmakers avoided the desaturated visual style that is typical of a more gritty documentary aesthetic. Deliberately drawing visual comparisons in the filming to the works of Spanish painter Francisco Goya, McQueen explained: When you think about Goya, who painted the most horrendous pictures of violence and torture and so forth, and they're amazing, exquisite paintings, one of the reasons they're such wonderful paintings is because what he's saying is, 'Look – look at this.' So if you paint it badly or put it in the sort of wrong perspective, you draw more attention to what's wrong with the image rather than looking at the image.Goodsell Luke October 17, 2013 Interview: Steve McQueen and Chiwetel Ejiofor talk 12 Years a Slave https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1928663/news/1928663/interview-steve-mcqueen-and-chiwetel-ejiofor-talk-em12-years-a-slaveem/ Rotten Tomatoes en-US October 26, 2013 Design To depict accurately the time period of the film, the filmmakers conducted extensive research that included studying artwork from the era.Cooper Jennifer Oscar Watch: 5 Things to Know About 12 Years a Slave http://www.eonline.com/news/472244/oscar-watch-5-things-to-know-about-12-years-a-slave E! November 3, 2013 October 20, 2013 With eight weeks to create the wardrobe, costume designer Patricia Norris collaborated with Western Costume to compile costumes that would illustrate the passage of time while also being historically accurate.Pick of the Week: "12 Years A Slave" http://costumedesignersguild.com/articles-videos/pick-of-the-week/potw-12-years-a-slave/ Costume Designers Guild November 3, 2013 October 18, 2013 November 5, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131105115644/http://costumedesignersguild.com/articles-videos/pick-of-the-week/potw-12-years-a-slave/ dead Using an earth-toned colour palette, Norris created nearly 1,000 costumes for the film. "She [Norris] took earth samples from all three of the plantations to match the clothes," McQueen said, "and she had the conversation with Sean [Bobbitt] to deal with the character temperature on each plantation, there was a lot of that minute detail."Abrams Bryan The U.S. Premiere of 12 Years a Slave at the New York Film Festival http://www.thecredits.org/2013/10/the-u-s-premiere-of-12-years-a-slave-at-new-york-film-festival/ The Credits Motion Picture Association of America November 3, 2013 October 8, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012513/http://www.thecredits.org/2013/10/the-u-s-premiere-of-12-years-a-slave-at-new-york-film-festival/ December 3, 2013 dead Music 12 Years a Slave (score) 12 Years a Slave (score) 12 Years a Slave (soundtrack) 12 Years a Slave (soundtrack) The musical score to 12 Years a Slave was composed by Hans Zimmer, with original on-screen violin music written and arranged by Nicholas Britell and performed by Tim Fain.Columbia Records to Release '12 Years a Slave' Soundtrack http://filmmusicreporter.com/2013/10/14/columbia-records-to-release-12-years-a-slave-soundtrack/ Film Music Reporter October 26, 2013 October 14, 2013 The film also features a few pieces of western classical and American folk music such as Franz Schubert's "Trio in B-flat, D471", Daniel Dow's "Money Musk", and John and Alan Lomax's arrangement of "Run, Nigger, Run".12 Years a Slave (2013) – Soundtrack.Net http://www.soundtrack.net/movie/12-years-a-slave/ Soundtrack.net October 28, 2013 A soundtrack album, Music from and Inspired by 12 Years a Slave, was released digitally on November 5 and received a physical format release on November 11, 2013, by Columbia Records.'12 Years a Slave' Soundtrack Details http://filmmusicreporter.com/2013/10/18/12-years-a-slave-soundtrack-details/ Film Music Reporter October 25, 2013 October 18, 2013 In addition to Zimmer's score, the album features music inspired by the film by artists such as John Legend, Laura Mvula, Alicia Keys, Chris Cornell, and Alabama Shakes.Jagernauth Kevin Inspired By '12 Years A Slave' Soundtrack Features John Legend, Cody Chestnutt, Chris Cornell & More http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/12-years-a-slave-inspired-by-soundtrack-features-john-legend-cody-chestnutt-chris-cornell-more-20131022 IndieWire Snagfilms October 26, 2013 October 22, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131027090926/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/12-years-a-slave-inspired-by-soundtrack-features-john-legend-cody-chestnutt-chris-cornell-more-20131022 October 27, 2013 dead Legend's cover of "Roll, Jordan, Roll" debuted online three weeks prior to the soundtrack's release.John Legend's 'Roll Jordan Roll' Debuts From '12 Years A Slave' https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/john-legend-roll-jordan-roll-12-years-a-slave_n_4155428.html Huffington Post October 27, 2013 October 24, 2013 Release Initial screenings thumb|Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o at the 2013 New York Film Festival On November 15, 2011, Summit Entertainment announced that it had closed deals for the distribution of 12 Years a Slave in most international markets. In April 2012, a few weeks before principal photography, New Regency Productions agreed to co-finance the film.Masters Kim Paramount, Brad Pitt Company Feuding Over '12 Years a Slave' (Exclusive) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paramount-brad-pitt-company-feuding-651131 The Hollywood Reporter October 27, 2013 October 27, 2013 Because of a distribution pact between 20th Century Fox and New Regency, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired the film's American and Canadian distribution rights.Weston Hillary Steve McQueen's 'Twelve Years a Slave' to be Released by Fox Searchlight This December http://www.bbook.com/steve-mcqueens-twelve-years-a-slave-to-be-released-by-fox-searchlight-this-december/ BlackBook McCarthy, LLC October 25, 2013 March 28, 2013 February 1, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140201201303/http://www.bbook.com/steve-mcqueens-twelve-years-a-slave-to-be-released-by-fox-searchlight-this-december/ dead However, instead of paying for the distribution rights, Fox Searchlight made a deal in which it would share box-office proceeds with the financiers of the independently financed film.Horn John Unflinching '12 Years a Slave' poses monumental marketing challenge https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-12-years-slave-marketing-20131025,0,4000597,full.story https://web.archive.org/web/20131026103620/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-12-years-slave-marketing-20131025,0,4000597,full.story dead October 26, 2013 Los Angeles Times October 25, 2013 October 25, 2013 12 Years a Slave premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2013;Hammond Pete Telluride: '12 Years A Slave' Ignites The Festival, But Fox Searchlight Plans To Take It Slow https://deadline.com/2013/08/telluride-12-years-a-slave-ignites-the-festival-but-fox-searchlight-plans-to-take-it-slow-576006/ Deadline Hollywood October 28, 2013 August 31, 2013 it was later screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6Bailey Cameron 12 Years a Slave tiff.net http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/festival/2013/12yearsaslave Toronto International Film Festival Toronto International Film Festival Inc. October 28, 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20131105215654/http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/festival/2013/12yearsaslave November 5, 2013 where it was given the top People's Choice Award,Goldberg Matt TIFF 2013: 12 YEARS A SLAVE Wins People's Choice Award; Midnight Madness Award Goes to WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL? https://collider.com/12-years-a-slave-tiff-2013-peoples-choice-award/ Collider September 15, 2022 September 15, 2013 September 15, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220915201316/https://collider.com/12-years-a-slave-tiff-2013-peoples-choice-award/ dead the New York Film Festival on October 8,Brooks Brian McQueen's "12 Years A Slave" Will Have U.S. Debut at NYFF51 http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff2013/blog/12-years-a-slave-will-have-us-debut-at-new-york-film-festival Film Society of Lincoln Center October 28, 2013 August 30, 2013 the New Orleans Film Festival on October 10,NOFF Announces Opening Closing Night Films http://neworleansfilmsociety.org/community/detail/68618/NOFF-Announces-Opening-Closing-Night-Films New Orleans Film Society June 17, 2014 August 8, 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140729032041/http://neworleansfilmsociety.org/community/detail/68618/NOFF-Announces-Opening-Closing-Night-Films July 29, 2014 and the Philadelphia Film Festival on October 19.22nd Philadelphia Film Festival Announces Film Additions and Scheduling Changes http://filmadelphia.org/22nd-philadelphia-film-festival-announces-film-additions-and-scheduling-changes/ Philadelphia Film Society October 28, 2013 October 14, 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203334/http://filmadelphia.org/22nd-philadelphia-film-festival-announces-film-additions-and-scheduling-changes/ October 29, 2013 The film was commercially released on October 18, in the United States for a limited release of 19 theaters, with a wide release in subsequent weeks.Where to see 12 Years a Slave http://www.foxsearchlight.com/post/3828/where-to-see-12-years-a-slave/ October 16, 2013 Fox Searchlight Pictures October 2, 2013 The film was initially scheduled to be released in late December, but "some exuberant test screenings" led to the decision to move up the release date.Fleming Mike https://deadline.com/2013/06/new-regency-moves-12-years-a-slave-up-to-an-october-18-platform-bow-530849/ New Regency Moves '12 Years A Slave' Up to an October 18 Platform Bow Deadline Hollywood June 27, 2013 The film was distributed by Entertainment One in the United Kingdom.http://uk.eonefilms.com/films/12-years-a-slave 12 Years a Slave Uk.EOneFilms.com December 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102815/http://uk.eonefilms.com/films/12-years-a-slave March 4, 2016 dead Marketing Due to both the film's explicit nature and award contender status, 12 Years a Slave financial success was being watched closely. Many analysts compared the film's content to other drama films of a similar vein such as Schindler's List (1993) and The Passion of the Christ (2004), which became box office successes despite their respective subject matters. "It may be a tough subject matter, but when handled well ... films that are tough to sit through can still be commercially successful," said Phil Contrino of Boxoffice Magazine.Ryan Joal 12 Years a Slave Could Win Best Picture, but About the Box Office ... http://www.eonline.com/news/471562/12-years-a-slave-could-win-best-picture-but-about-the-box-office- E! October 27, 2013 October 18, 2013 Despite its content, the film's critical success has assisted its domestic distribution by Fox Searchlight that began with a limited release aimed primarily towards art house and African-American patrons.Horn John In first wider weekend, '12 Years a Slave' reaches key audiences https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-12-years-a-slave-box-office-20131029,0,4804167.story Los Angeles Times October 29, 2013 October 29, 2013 The film's release was gradually widened in subsequent weeks, similarly to how the studio had successfully done in previous years with films such as Black Swan and The Descendants.Cunningham Todd Can '12 Years a Slave' Translate Oscar Buzz into Box Office? https://www.thewrap.com/12-years-slave-oscar-buzz-box-office-steve-mcqueen TheWrap The Wrap News Inc. October 27, 2013 October 17, 2013 International release dates for 12 Years a Slave were largely delayed to early 2014 in order to take advantage of the attention created by awards seasons.Cieply Michael The International Fate of '12 Years': Steve McQueen's Film Is a Box-Office Test Case https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/business/media/steve-mcqueens-film-is-a-box-office-test-case.html The New York Times October 29, 2013 October 28, 2013 During its marketing campaign, 12 Years a Slave received unpaid endorsements by celebrities such as Kanye West and Sean 'Diddy' Combs.Kaufman Amy Like Kanye West, Sean 'Diddy' Combs backs '12 Years a Slave' [Video] https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-diddy-kanye-12-years-slave-20131023,0,405253.story Los Angeles Times October 25, 2013 October 23, 2013 In a video posted by Revolt, Combs urged viewers to see 12 Years a Slave by stating: "This movie is very painful but very honest, and is a part of the healing process. I beg all of you to take your kids, everybody to see it. ... You have to see this so you can understand, so you can just start to understand."Lewis Hilary Diddy Praises '12 Years a Slave': 'The Truth Has Finally Almost Been Told' (Video) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/diddy-praises-12-years-a-650654 The Hollywood Reporter October 25, 2013 October 24, 2013 Home media Following its cinematic release in theaters, the Region 1 Code widescreen edition of the film was released on DVD in the United States on March 4, 2014. Special features for the DVD include; a Closed Caption option, The Team – Meet the Creative Minds Assembled by Director Steve McQueen and Bring Solomon Northup's Journey to Life bonus selection, and The Score – Follow Film Composer Hans Zimmer Creating His Dramatic Score feature.http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dvd-12-years-a-slave-chiwetel-ejiofor/22646365?ean=0024543880967 12 Years a Slave – DVD Widescreen Barnes & Noble January 10, 2016 In supplemental fashion, a widescreen hi-definition Blu-ray Disc version of the film was also released on the same day. Special features include; a historical portrait from Director Steve McQueen's documentary feature, cast and crew interviews, The Team special feature, and The Score selection.http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dvd-12-years-a-slave-chiwetel-ejiofor/22646365?ean=0024543881018 12 Years a Slave Blu-Ray Barnes & Noble January 10, 2016 An additional viewing option for the film in the media format of Video on demand has been made available as well.https://www.amazon.com/12-Years-Slave-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B00IRMTTPU/ 12 Years a Slave Instant Video Format Amazon January 10, 2016 Reception Box office 12 Years a Slave earned $187.7 million, including $56.7 million in the United States. During its opening limited release in the United States, 12 Years a Slave debuted with a weekend total of $923,715 on 19 screens for a $48,617 per-screen average.Subers Ray Weekend Report: 'Gravity' Wins Again, 'Carrie' Leads Weak Newcomers https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3742&p=.htm Box Office Mojo February 28, 2014 October 20, 2013 The following weekend, the film entered the top ten after expanding to 123 theatres and grossing an additional $2.1 million.Mendelson Scott Weekend Box Office: 'Jackass: Bad Grandpa' Tops With $32 Million https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2013/10/27/weekend-box-office-bad-grandpa-tops-with-32-million/ Forbes October 27, 2013 October 27, 2013 It continued to improve into its third weekend, grossing $4.6 million at 410 locations. The film release was expanded to over 1,100 locations on November 8, 2013.Subers Ray Weekend Report: 'Ender' Wins Box Office 'Game,' 'Thor' Mighty Overseas https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3747&p=.htm Box Office Mojo November 3, 2013 November 3, 2013 In 2014, 12 Years a Slave was the 10th-most illegally downloaded movie, with 23.653 million such downloads, according to Variety. https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/top-20-most-pirated-movies-of-2014-led-by-wolf-of-wall-street-frozen-gravity-1201388403/ Top 20 Most Pirated Movies of 2014 Led by 'Wolf of Wall Street,' 'Frozen,' 'Gravity' Todd Spangler The Hollywood Reporter December 28, 2014 November 11, 2015 Critical response Film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 95% of critics gave the film a positive rating, based on 379 reviews, with an average score of 8.90/10. The site's consensus states, "It's far from comfortable viewing, but 12 Years a Slaves unflinchingly brutal look at American slavery is also brilliant – and quite possibly essential – cinema."https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/12_years_a_slave/ 12 Years a Slave (2013) Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Media November 17, 2022 Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 96 out of 100 based on 57 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "universal acclaim". It is currently one of the site's highest-rated films, as well as the best-reviewed film of 2013.https://www.metacritic.com/movie/12-years-a-slave 12 Years a Slave Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive July 13, 2019 CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film an "A" grade.Specialty Box Office: '12 Years A Slave' Triumphs In Limited Debut; 'All Is Lost,' 'Kill Your Darlings' Open Solid https://deadline.com/2013/10/indie-box-office-12-years-a-slave-robert-redford-all-is-lost-616087/ Deadline Hollywood October 27, 2013 October 20, 2013 Richard Corliss of TIME wrote: "McQueen's film is closer in its storytelling particulars to such 1970s exploitation-exposés of slavery as Mandingo and Goodbye, Uncle Tom. Except that McQueen is not a schlockmeister sensationalist but a remorseless artist". Corliss draws parallels with Nazi Germany, saying, "McQueen shows that racism, aside from its barbarous inhumanity, is insanely inefficient. It can be argued that Nazi Germany lost the war both because it diverted so much manpower to the killing of Jews and because it did not exploit the brilliance of Jewish scientists in building smarter weapons. So the slave owners dilute the energy of their slaves by whipping them for sadistic sport and, as Epps does, waking them at night to dance for his wife's cruel pleasure."https://entertainment.time.com/2013/09/09/12-years-a-slave-and-mandela-two-tales-of-racism-survived/ '12 Years a Slave' and 'Mandela': Two Tales of Racism Survived Corliss Richard TIME September 9, 2013 October 1, 2013 Gregory Ellwood of HitFix gave the film an "A−" rating, stating, "12 Years is a powerful drama driven by McQueen's bold direction and the finest performance of Chiwetel Ejiofor's career." He continued by praising the performances of Fassbender and Nyong'o, citing Nyong'o as "the film's breakthrough performance [that] may find Nyong'o making her way to the Dolby Theater next March". He also admired the film's "gorgeous" cinematography and the musical score, as "one of Hans Zimmer's more moving scores in some time".http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/review-powerful-12-years-a-slave-wont-turn-away-from-the-brutality-of-slavery Review: Powerful 12 Years a Slave won't turn away from the brutality of slavery Ellwood Gregory HitFix August 31, 2013 October 1, 2013 October 6, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131006105211/http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/review-powerful-12-years-a-slave-wont-turn-away-from-the-brutality-of-slavery dead Paul MacInnes of The Guardian scored the film five out of five stars, writing, "Stark, visceral and unrelenting, 12 Years a Slave is not just a great film but a necessary one."MacInnes Paul 12 Years a Slave: Toronto film festival – first look review https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/07/twelve-years-a-slave-review-toronto The Guardian October 26, 2013 September 7, 2013 The Guardian Andrew Pulver said, in 2017, that 12 Years a Slave is "one of the most important films about the African-American experience ever".Pulver Andrew 2017-02-07 Moonlight becomes him: Barry Jenkins's journey from a Miami housing project to the Oscars http://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/07/moonlight-barry-jenkins-director-interview 2021-05-06 The Guardian en Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly praised it as "a new movie landmark of cruelty and transcendence" and as "a movie about a life that gets taken away, and that's why it lets us touch what life is". He also commented very positively about Ejiofor's performance, while further stating, "12 Years a Slave lets us stare at the primal sin of America with open eyes, and at moments it is hard to watch, yet it's a movie of such humanity and grace that at every moment, you feel you're seeing something essential. It is Chiwetel Ejiofor's extraordinary performance that holds the movie together, and that allows us to watch it without blinking. He plays Solomon with a powerful inner strength, yet he never soft-pedals the silent nightmare that is Solomon's daily existence."http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/09/07/toronto-12-years-a-slave-is-a-landmark/ Toronto 2013: '12 Years a Slave' is a landmark of cruelty and transcendence Gleiberman Owen Entertainment Weekly CNN September 7, 2013 October 2, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130907180532/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/09/07/toronto-12-years-a-slave-is-a-landmark/ September 7, 2013 Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, gave the film a four-star rating and said: "you won't be able to tuck this powder keg in the corner of your mind and forget it. What we have here is a blistering, brilliant, straight-up classic." He later named the film the best movie of 2013.Travers Peter '12 Years a Slave' Review https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/12-years-a-slave-20131017 Rolling Stone Wenner Media LLC October 27, 2013 October 17, 2013 right horizontal 380 Chiwetel Ejiofor by Gage Skidmore.jpg SXSW 2019 4 (47282558132) (cropped).jpg Michael Fassbender by Gage Skidmore 2015.jpg The performances of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o and Michael Fassbender garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning them Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively, with Nyong'o winning her category. Manohla Dargis wrote, in her review for The New York Times, "the genius of 12 Years a Slave is its insistence on banal evil, and on terror, that seeped into souls, bound bodies and reaped an enduring, terrible price".Dargis Manohla The Blood and Tears, Not the Magnolias: '12 Years a Slave' Holds Nothing Back in Show of Suffering https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/movies/12-years-a-slave-holds-nothing-back-in-show-of-suffering.html The New York Times October 27, 2013 October 17, 2013 The Daily Telegraph's Tim Robey granted the film a maximum score of five stars, stating that "it's the nobility of this remarkable film that pierces the soul", while praising Ejiofor and Nyong'o's performances.Robey Tim 12 Years A Slave, first review https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10293267/12-Years-A-Slave-first-review.html https://web.archive.org/web/20131017155003/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10293267/12-Years-A-Slave-first-review.html dead October 17, 2013 The Daily Telegraph October 27, 2013 October 17, 2013 Tina Hassannia of Slant Magazine said that "using his signature visual composition and deafening sound design, Steve McQueen portrays the harrowing realism of Northup's experience and the complicated relationships between master and slave, master and master, slave and slave, and so on".Hassannia Tina Toronto International Film Festival 2013: 12 Years a Slave Review https://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2013/09/toronto-international-film-festival-2013-12-years-a-slave Slant Magazine October 27, 2013 September 9, 2013 David Simon, the creator of the TV series The Wire, highly praised the movie, commenting that "it marks the first time in history that our entertainment industry, albeit with international creative input, has managed to stare directly at slavery and maintain that gaze".http://davidsimon.com/slavery-a-film-narrative-and-the-myth-of-original-intent/ Slavery, a film narrative and the empty myth of original intent DavidSimon.com October 29, 2013 January 21, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150401071013/http://davidsimon.com/slavery-a-film-narrative-and-the-myth-of-original-intent/ April 1, 2015 live The film was not without its criticisms. Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice was more critical of the film. While praising Ejiofor's work, she stated: "It's a picture that stays more than a few safe steps away from anything so dangerous as raw feeling. Even when it depicts inhuman cruelty, as it often does, it never compromises its aesthetic purity."Zacharek Stephanie 12 Years a Slave Prizes Radiance Over Life https://www.villagevoice.com/12-years-a-slave-a-masterful-historical-nightmare-of-malice-and-resolve/ https://web.archive.org/web/20251021224550/https://www.villagevoice.com/12-years-a-slave-a-masterful-historical-nightmare-of-malice-and-resolve/ dead October 21, 2025 The Village Voice Voice Media Group October 28, 2013 October 16, 2013 Peter Malamud Smith of Slate criticized the story, saying, "12 Years a Slave is constructed as a story of a man trying to return to his family, offering every viewer a way into empathizing with its protagonist. Maybe we need a story framed on that individual scale in order to understand it. But it has a distorting effect all the same. We're more invested in one hero than in millions of victims; if we're forced to imagine ourselves enslaved, we want to imagine ourselves as Northup, a special person who miraculously escaped the system that attempted to crush him." Describing this as "the hero problem", Malamud Smith concluded his review explaining, "We can handle 12 Years a Slave. But don't expect 60 Years a Slave any time soon. And 200 Years, Millions of Slaves? Forget about it."Malamud Smith Peter We Can Be Heroes: 12 Years a Slave, Schindler's List, and the hero problem in American movies. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/10/_12_years_a_slave_and_schindler_s_list_how_american_movies_valorize_those.single.html Slate October 28, 2013 October 20, 2013 Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club opined that McQueen is "essentially tone-deaf when it comes to performance, and skirts by on casting". The film "lacks a necessary emotional continuity. I don't think it's something the movie is denying in the way it intentionally denies so many other conventions; it's still structured around an ending that's supposed to function as a release, but because it can't organize that sense of catharsis it so badly needs, it just feels as though McQueen is scurrying for an exit. Also: The cast is wildly uneven." What didn't deserve to make our Best Films Of The Decade So Far list? https://www.avclub.com/article/what-didnt-deserve-make-our-best-films-decade-so-f-217526 www.avclub.com April 10, 2015 November 17, 2015 Some critics identified 12 Years a Slave as an example of the white savior narrative in film.McCoy Dorian L. Rodricks Dirk J. 2015 Critical Race Theory in Higher Education: 20 Years of Theoretical and Research Innovations ASHE Higher Education Report John Wiley & Sons 978-1-119-11203-7 https://books.google.com/books?id=fcD7CAAAQBAJ&q=%2212+years+a+slave%22 Critics contended it was yet another film showcasing a White savior with Pitt (who also produced the film) positioning himself as such. 88 Timothy Sneed said in U.S. News & World Report the year after the film was released, "Doubts still lingered about its ability to truly bring about a newfound racial consciousness among a national, mainstream audience ... The film also was a period piece that featured a happy ending ushered in by a 'white savior' in the form of Brad Pitt's character."Sneed Timothy https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/07/18/a-year-after-trayvon-martin-who-is-leading-the-race-conversation A Year After Trayvon Martin, Who Is Leading the Race Conversation? July 18, 2014 U.S. News & World Report At The Guardian, black Canadian author Orville Lloyd Douglas said he would not be seeing 12 Years a Slave, explaining: "I'm convinced these black race films are created for a white, liberal film audience to engender white guilt and make them feel bad about themselves. Regardless of your race, these films are unlikely to teach you anything you don't already know."https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/12/why-im-not-watching-the-butler-12-years-a-slave Why I won't be watching The Butler and 12 Years a Slave Orville Lloyd Douglas The Guardian September 12, 2013 December 14, 2013 A Black writer, Michael Arceneaux, wrote a rebuttal essay "We Don't Need To Get Over Slavery... Or Movies About Slavery". Arceneaux criticized Douglas for being ignorant and having an apathetic attitude towards black Americans and slavery.Newsone.com http://newsone.com/2722271/orville-lloyd-douglas-slavery/ We Don't Need To Get Over Slavery... Or Movies About Slavery 2013-09-30 Accolades List of accolades received by 12 Years a Slave (film) List of accolades received by 12 Years a Slave (film) 12 Years a Slave has received numerous awards and nominations. It earned three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress.https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/movies/awardsseason/oscars-2014-winners-and-losers.html 12 Years a Slave' Claims Best Picture Oscar The New York Times March 2, 2014 Cieply Michael Barnes Brooks It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama.http://www.goldenglobes.com/awards 2014 Golden Globe Awards The Hollywood Foreign Press Association January 21, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20150315233553/http://www.goldenglobes.com/awards March 15, 2015 dead The film also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film, while Ejiofor received the Best Actor award.Baftas: Gravity and 12 Years a Slave share glory https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26221196 February 17, 2014 BBC News February 17, 2014 In addition, the motion picture has been named as one of the best films of 2013 by various ongoing critics, appearing on 100 critics' top-ten lists in which 25 had the film in their number-one spot. This is the most of any film released in its production year.Dietz Jason December 8, 2013 Film Critic Top 10 Lists - Best Movies of 2013 http://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critic-top-10-lists-best-movies-of-2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102162352/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critic-top-10-lists-best-movies-of-2013 2014-01-02 2026-03-20 Metacritic In 2021, members of Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) voted its screenplay 54th in WGA’s 101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (So Far).Pedersen Erik 2021-12-06 101 Greatest Screenplays Of The 21st Century: Horror Pic Tops Writers Guild’s List https://deadline.com/2021/12/greatest-screenplays-of-21st-century-list-writers-guild-get-out-1234885622/ 2025-12-25 Deadline en-US101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (*so far) https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-screenplays-of-the-21st-century-so-far/list 2025-12-25 www.wga.org See also List of black films of the 2010s List of films featuring slavery Solomon Northup's Odyssey, a 1984 television film adaptation of the same source material Black Seeds: The History of Africans in America (2021) References External links 12 Years a Slave at History vs. Hollywood Awards for 12 Years a Slave Category:2013 films Category:2013 biographical drama films Category:2013 independent films Category:2013 American films Category:2013 British films Category:2013 English-language films Category:African-American biographical dramas Category:American biographical drama films Category:American historical drama films Category:American independent films Category:BAFTA winners (films) Category:Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners Category:Best Film BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Picture Academy Award winners Category:Black British films Category:British biographical drama films Category:British historical drama films Category:British independent films Category:Drama films based on actual events Category:Film4 Productions films Category:English-language biographical drama films Category:English-language historical drama films Category:English-language independent films Category:English-language Luxembourgian films Category:Films about American slavery Category:Films about kidnapping in the United States Category:Films about anti-black racism in the United States Category:Films about rape in the United States Category:Films about violins and violinists Category:Films based on memoirs Category:Films directed by Steve McQueen Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award–winning performance Category:Films produced by Arnon Milchan Category:Films produced by Brad Pitt Category:Films produced by Dede Gardner Category:Films produced by Jeremy Kleiner Category:Films scored by Hans Zimmer Category:Films set in 1841 Category:Films set in 1853 Category:Films set in Louisiana Category:Films set in New Orleans Category:Films set in the 1840s Category:Films set in the 1850s Category:Films set on farms Category:Films shot in New Orleans Category:Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award Category:Films with screenplays by John Ridley Category:Fox Searchlight Pictures films Category:Best Film Independent Spirit Award winners Category:Lionsgate Canada films Category:Lionsgate films Category:Luxembourgian historical films Category:Luxembourgian independent films Category:River Road Entertainment films Category:Plan B Entertainment films Category:Regency Enterprises films Category:Satellite Award–winning films Category:Saturn Award–winning films Category:Summit Entertainment films Category:Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award winners Category:United States National Film Registry films inducted in 2023 Category:2013 Luxembourgian films Category:Luxembourgian biographical films Category:2010s epic films Category:2013 historical drama films