“12 Years a Slave” Trailer

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.

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9 comments… add one
  • Matt McKeon Jul 17, 2013 @ 3:52

    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.

    • Kevin Levin Jul 17, 2013 @ 3:55

      Hey, whatever it takes. 🙂

  • Lyle Smith Jul 16, 2013 @ 12:01

    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.

    • Kevin Levin Jul 16, 2013 @ 12:03

      Too early to tell and that’s a tall order given that I thought Lincoln was a superb movie.

      • Lyle Smith Jul 16, 2013 @ 13:06

        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.

        • Kevin Levin Jul 16, 2013 @ 14:21

          Trailers are a tricky thing, don’t you think.

          • Lyle Smith Jul 16, 2013 @ 14:57

            Certainly. There are plenty of good trailers that precede poor films, and vice versa.

  • Rob Baker Jul 16, 2013 @ 11:25

    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.

    • Kevin Levin Jul 16, 2013 @ 11:43

      Thanks. It will likely change in the near future.

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