I’ve known for about a year that there is a movie script about Frederick Douglass that is being bandied around, but this is the first I’ve heard of a movie about Solomon Northup. The movie is based on Northup’s autobiography, which I’ve used numerous times in the classroom. The movie boasts an impressive line-up of actors so it will be interesting to see if it does justice to the book. If you are going to make a movie about slavery Northup’s story is ideal for some of the same reasons that the story of the Amistad proved attractive to Spielberg. Both stories end with freedom. I hope the movie somehow makes it clear that Northup’s story before the Civil War was highly unusual.
The movie hits theaters this coming October.
Brad Pitt was rocking a Lincoln beard. I’m thinking he doesn’t actually play Lincoln in this?
My kid will insist on seeing this solely because Benedict Cumberbatch is in it.
Hey, whatever it takes. 🙂
I referenced the making of this film in a comment here some time back. I assumed you knew it was being made, because you don’t miss much usually. 😉
The trailer makes it look better than Lincoln. Hopefully it will be better too.
Too early to tell and that’s a tall order given that I thought Lincoln was a superb movie.
I think Lincoln was just okay. The only thing I really liked about it was Daniel Day Lewis playing Lincoln.
I agree we will have to just wait and see how good this movie turns out to be. I do judge this trailer to be better than the Lincoln trailer though.
Trailers are a tricky thing, don’t you think.
Certainly. There are plenty of good trailers that precede poor films, and vice versa.
Wow. I like the emotional appeal of it and I think the cast will more than suffice to deliver a powerful performance. I’ve enjoyed Michael Fassbender’s movies as well as Paul Giamatti’s. Plus I think Brad Pitt is an underrated actor when it comes to dramatic roles.
BTW, like the new look. Simple is elegant.
Thanks. It will likely change in the near future.