12 years a slave

[Figster]

Genuinely can't find a thread on this considering it's been crowned best film at numerous awards ceremonies can't believe it to be the case.

Saw it tonight was just so sad throughout the gradual loss of hope and resilience, the alien nature of thinking people as property. It will stay with me for some time.

My biggest thought initially though was if jared Leto won best supporting actor at the oscars over Michael fassbender then I HAVE to see Dallas buyers club. Fassbender was astonishing!!!!!

I found it a bit too torture porn in bits. I know what the slaves went through was horrific, and the film portrayed that brilliantly, but it felt a bit gratuitous... I felt very uncomfortable just sitting and watching it for entertainment.

Fasswhatshisface was great but again, hated watching him.

On the other hand, I loved watching Leto! Good film.

I didn't love any of the big winners though. They were all very so-so.

I started a thread about this film a while back ( think it was in AIBU) as I thought it should win the Best Film Oscar but peoples's reactions were v mixed. Personally I thought it was brilliant on so many levels and will stand the test of time. But it seems to be not to everyone's taste...

Make no mistake, it made for some very uncomfortable viewing. I cried my eyes out watching it which I've not done for a long time whilst watching a film. The injustice of how people were treated and the fact that modern-day slavery sadly is a harsh reality today made me feel desperately sad. It was a first-class piece of film-making though.

I've just come back from watching this (Tightarse Tuesday).

A very good film indeed. I liked the way McQueen didn't step away from the torture implications of the "hanging" of Platts. He was excellent in portraying how slaves were terrorised into submission; they could nor even raise their heads.

Some have said this is sadistic film, yet at no point does McQueen allow the blow to be filmed landing, surely the point for a sadist.

Fassbender is extarordinary. While no way offering MH issues as an excuse for Epps, he is plainly a man in the grip of insane behaviour, and again it is part of point that McQueen shows how corrupting slavery is, entwining itself around those who imagine themselves to be free. I don't think Mc Queen is offering an explanation/excuse/reason, just a terrible and terrifying view.

I not only thought it was a great movie - it's astounding that he took so many years for someone to confront the subject like this. McQueen apparently didn't consider it to be so violent. I've only seen it once, but it's possible that on the first viewing it seems more violent because you're dreading what might happen.

Here's an interview, if anyone is interested:

www.vulture.com/2013/12/steve-mcqueen-talks-12-years-a-slave.html