12 Year A Slave, Do We Need Such Films?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/03/steve-mcqueen-slavery-12-years-a-slave

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/04/steve-mcqueen-my-painful-childhood-shame

/// McQueen's film pitilessly documents the beatings, lynchings, rape and brutality of a slave-owning class half-demented by its own moral corruption, and routinely reduces audiences to tears. "I hadn't realised slavery was that bad," is the comment its director keeps hearing. ///

McQueen admits that he didn't realise slavery was so bad, so does it do any good for racial harmony to constantly remind people of man's inhumanity to others that which happened nearly 200 years ago?

/// "There's been a kind of amnesia," he says, "or not wanting to focus on this, because of it being so painful. It's kind of crazy. We can deal with the second world war and the Holocaust and so forth and what not, but this side of history, maybe because it was so hideous, people just do not want to see. People do not want to engage." ///

What is he saying that WW2 and the holocaust was also not as hideous also, what about the slaves that the Nazis used or those that the Japanese used to build their railways etc?

Just as we see less films made of these inhumane historic events these days in an attempt not to cause offence or ill feelings, to the present day Germans and Japanese, perhaps now we should do the same with other similar matters which happened further down in history?

[ChillDoubt]

Not sure 'sunk wthout trace' would apply sandyRoe, maybe 'one of his lesser known works':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amistad_%28film%29#Critical_response

Take a look to further down at the Awards/Nominations.

[Gromit]

Have you been to the States this autumn BOO? So far it has only been shown at film festivals. It goes on general release 10th January.

// 12 Years a Slave premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2013,[37] before screening at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, the New York Film Festival on October 8, and Philadelphia Film Festival on October 19, 2013. //

Or perhaps you bought a pirated copy off a chinaman in a pub?

[B00]

Bought???!!

Hang on while i sit down in shock!

[anotheoldgit]

ChillDoubt

Whatever, but still have never said that "I don't have an issue over the film "Bridge On The River Kwai".

/// Or is is that the main character is in fact a British actor giving a fantastic perfomance in what is generally seen as a subject for the Americans to be dealing with and no one else? ///

A fantastic performance eh?

Have you actually seen the movie then?

[OILhead]

AOG - sorry to pester, but I am intrigued to know how historical something has to be for us to "forget, forgive and move on" as you said we should do about slavery?

[ChillDoubt]

No, as I've already said it's been globally recognised as a masterpiece and Ejiofor praised for an outstanding performance, I'm just going wiht the general concensus:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/12-years-a-slave-what-649299

Many critics also praise Ejiofor's performance, with THR's McCarthy writing that the actor "is terrific in a demanding character who’s put through the wringer physically, mentally and emotionally.

Travers writes: "As Solomon, Ejiofor gives an electrifying, engulfing performance that will be talked about for years. The educated Solomon is forbidden to protest his situation or even articulate it. Not without being beaten or worse. But Ejiofor's eyes, deep pools of confusion, pain and barely repressed rage, tell us all we need to know. Want proof that acting can be an art form? Here it is."

New York Magazine's David Edelstein adds: "Ejiofor has been overdue for stardom since Dirty Pretty Things, and he’ll get it now. He’s the kind of great actor who can work in pantomime, conveying terror and anguish with the angle of his shoulders and the level of his head. At times he wears his disgust too visibly for a man who has supposedly learned to keep his head down, but the struggle to remain inside himself is vivid."

Dargis claims, "Ejiofor’s restrained, open, translucent performance works as a ballast, something to cling onto, especially during the frenzies of violence."


Yet the likes of you, who also hasn't seen it make the inexplicable claim that we don't need films of such nature to be made.
Thankfully, the BFI, Hollywood, actors, directors and producers don't listen to the likes of you.

[Zacs-Master]

When you use 'whatever' as an answer beyond the age of 16, it's an admission of defeat.
I think you've been defeated by the poor title of your question AOG. You do have some good points but you set yourself up for ridicule in how you phrase your questions. Why not post something like 'Are the issues brought up by 12 years a slave valid in today's society' or 'does society today have anything to learn from 12......'
I believe I have pointed this out to you before.

[LazyGun]

Do we need such films? No one is forcing you to go, AoG - no one is forcing anyone to go are they, and the film will stand or fall on its commercial success.

As to whether, culturally speaking, we need films like this - Yes, I think stories which highlight mans inhumanity to man can serve as a useful and salutary lesson. As a species, we tend to be forgetful, so if you can offer up an entertainment with a compelling narrative that can be a useful educational tool as well, wouldn't you say?

And I think you read too much into his comments if you think he was trying to suggest that slavery was worse than the holocaust or what-have-you.

[redman41]

I am looking forward to seeing this Film either at the Cinema or on DVD.
Good cast and story

[anotheoldgit]

/// for heaven's sake, you asked the same question in September, and got plenty of answers ///

I don't know about rude accusations from woofgang, that I have forgotten to get my meds replaced again.

So may I now be just as rude to say that jno either should go for an eye test or take a course in English, because I fail to see that "12 Year A Slave, Do We Need Such Films"? is the same question I asked last September when I asked "Is There Any Need To Make Such Films"?

Now had he said "For heaven's sake, this is yet another question about the same subject matter" then he would have been correct, but this he did not do.

[woofgang]

aog, I was being kind and attributing your grumpy behaviour to illness and not to having an intrinsically grumpy nature.

[Zeuhl]

It is bizarre (as McQueen has been quoted) that Hollywood has made more movies about Spartacus and the Roman slave revolt than it has about its own slave history.

If there is a story people want to tell and sufficient people are engaged by it then films will be made.

If there is truth in the story, only moral cowards fear them.

[Zacs-Master]

//I fail to see that "12 Year A Slave, Do We Need Such Films"? is the same question//
But if he'd said it was the same subject matter he would have been correct.

Eh?

[ChillDoubt]

So may I now be just as rude to say that jno either should go for an eye test or take a course in English, because I fail to see that "12 Year A Slave, Do We Need Such Films"? is the same question I asked last September when I asked "Is There Any Need To Make Such Films"?
--------------------------
Even though both questions are and were about the same film?
woofgang was right. You are way, way off them.
In fact, I don't believe there is anything within the BNF currently strong enough.

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

/// I don’t see the point of this question. We don’t ‘need’ any film, but there’s no doubt that some prove entertaining - and others educational.///

No, some prove entertaining - others not, but if you require educating stick to well made factual documentaries.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Or perhaps you bought a pirated copy off a chinaman in a pub? ///

Now, now Gromit, we won't have any racism here.

[mikey4444]

The difficulty aog is that each new generation needs reminding of mistakes made in the past. They may need more than reminding, as they may be completely unaware of really important events, just because they haven't been taught them. I remember reading somewhere that Japanese children are not taught about the Burma Railway, or most of the appalling crimes that were committed by their fathers and grandfathers.

You don't have to go half way around the world to find ignorance in today's children...a lot of them that I meet aren't familiar with the simplest of understanding of the events of the Vietnam War, let alone WW2.

This film makes for uncomfortable watching, if the reports that I have read are anything to go by. But I can't see the point of sweetening the pill.

[THECORBYLOON]

The September question starts, "Is There Any Need To Make Such Films?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2415405/12-Years-Slave-Audiences-gasp-walk-Oscar-tipped-film-giving-ovation.html

We all know that such things happened during the times of slavery, but should such graphic films be made, as I am sure they do nothing to foster good race relations?' What is the difference between that and to-day's question?