12 Years a Slave (now in theaters)

Review by Bob Ignizio

When criticized for the graphic depiction of the horrors of slavery in his film DJANGO UNCHAINED, Quentin Tarantino defended himself by saying (among other things – read more here if you like), “"When slave narratives are done on film, they tend to be historical with a capital H, with an arms-length quality to them. I wanted to break that history-under-glass aspect, I wanted to throw a rock through that glass and shatter it for all times, and take you into it.” He has a point, and while one can argue whether it's appropriate to take that approach in a film that is, first and foremost, meant as a cathartic work of entertainment like DJANGO was, there's no denying that it made an impact and got people talking. This year director Steve McQueen offers his take on the subject with 12 YEARS A SLAVE, a more sober and thoughtful film than Tarantino's that nonetheless offers more than its share of violence and brutality.