years slave film years slave period drama film adaptation slave narrative memoir years slave born free african american man kidnapped washington sold slavery worked plantations state louisiana years release scholarly edition memoir edited carefully account concluded accurate characters film real people including film directed screenplay written stars featured supporting roles principal photography took place new_orleans louisiana june august locations historic plantations nearest actual plantation held years slave received widespread critical acclaim named best film media outlets proved box office success earning million production budget million film won academy awards best picture best supporting actress best adapted screenplay best picture win black producer received award black director directed best picture winner film awarded golden globe award best motion picture drama television arts recognized best actor award plot free african american man working living wife children new_york white men brown hamilton offer short term employment musician travel washington arrive duo drug deliver slave pen later shipped new_orleans detained slave trader named freeman gives identity runaway slave georgia sells slave plantation owner tension plantation worker ford sells slave owner named process attempts explain actually free man avail time later outbreak cotton worm plantation unable work fields slaves neighboring plantation season gains favor plantation owner judge turner allows play neighbor wedding anniversary celebration earnings returns attempts use money pay white field hand mail letter friends new_york state agrees deliver letter accepts saved money return later narrowly able convince lying avoids punishment begins working construction canadian named bass unsettled brutal way treats slaves expresses opposition slavery earning mistress house soap clean calls ties post prepare hands whip forces whip reluctantly begins whip whip hands brutal flesh torn apart later kidnapping bass asks help getting letter bass life agrees send day called local sheriff arrives carriage man sheriff asks series questions confirm answers match facts life new_york recognizes sheriff companion parker knew parker come free embrace enraged protests circumstances tries prevent leaving enslaved years restored freedom returned family walks home sees wife son daughter husband present grandson namesake film epilogue displays series graphics unsuccessful suits brown hamilton publication slave narrative memoir years slave role abolitionist movement mystery surrounding details death burial cast small roles respectively production development meeting screenwriter creative artists agency screening hunger director got touch interest making film slave era america character obvious terms trade slavery developing idea forth strike chord partner found memoir years slave later told interviewer read book totally stunned time pretty upset didn know book live amsterdam national hero book read like diary written years account slavery basically passion book film lengthy development process production company plan backed project eventually helped financing film studios film officially announced august direct star free african american kidnapped sold slavery compared conduct class dignity october starred previous films joined cast early rest roles cast filming scheduled begin end june capture language era regions film takes place dialect coach assisted cast altering speech language literary quality related style writing day strong influence explained don know slaves sounded like 1840s rural samples mississippi louisiana actors found real upper class new worked training yale shifted speech american speech won academy awards reported ongoing feud screenplay credit reportedly asked shared credit declined appealed sided thanked respective acceptance speeches event event noted regret mentioning denied feud spoke favorably working explained sole screenplay credit rules commented alleged feud filming production budget million principal photography began new_orleans louisiana june seven weeks filming concluded august way production costs bulk filming took place greater new_orleans area south country north state historic enslaved locations historic plantations plantation louisiana miles historic sites held know right place things occurred powerful emotional said actor feeling dancing ghosts filming took place legacy french quarter new_orleans film primary camera operator shot years slave film aspect ratio particularly period piece film gives audience definite sense period quality said story epic nature clearly sense means big film epic tale case epic tale human endurance filmmakers avoided visual style typical gritty documentary aesthetic deliberately drawing visual comparisons filming works spanish painter explained think painted pictures violence torture forth amazing exquisite paintings reasons wonderful paintings saying look look paint badly sort wrong perspective draw attention wrong image looking image design accurately depict time period film filmmakers conducted extensive research included studying artwork era weeks create wardrobe costume designer collaborated western costume costumes illustrate passage time historically accurate earth tone color palette created nearly costumes film took earth samples plantations match clothes said conversation sean deal character temperature plantation lot minute detail filmmakers pieces clothing discovered set worn slaves music musical score years slave composed original screen violin music written arranged performed film features pieces western classical american folk music trio flat john arrangement run run soundtrack album music inspired years slave released digitally november received physical format release november columbia_records addition score album features music inspired film artists legend cover roll jordan roll debuted online weeks prior soundtrack release historical accuracy african american history culture scholar consultant film researcher author solomon complete story author years slave provided material market film news magazine articles time film release described scholar alleging license taken book liberties definitely took original dramatic reasons wrote hollywood reporter september new_york_times article highlighted essay scholar questioned literal truth specific incidents account suggested white dictated story taken liberty effective rallying public opinion slavery according invited slave share experience slavery convention subsequently funded appearance story print certain clear expectations understood understood slave wrote atlantic scene adaptation shortly kidnapping sent slave ship sailors attempts rape female slave stopped male slave sailor stabs kills male slave wrote stating unlikely face slaves valuable sailor owner sure scene book slate wrote book giving favorable account author master film words kind noble christian man adding ford circumstances blinded ford inherent wrong system slavery movie according frequently ford christianity effort update ethical lessons story 21st century holding institutions christianity light ability justify slavery time christian time writing master blinded circumstances retrospect meant racist acceptance slavery despite christian position christians christian 19th century contradictory washington_post characterized christianity depicted movie broken emily west associate professor history history slavery said seen film represent slavery accurately reviewing film history extra website said film unveiled sights sounds slaves picking cotton sang fields crack people backs heard lot ideology masters different characters interpretation christianity justify ownership slaves believed bible sanctioned slavery christian duty preach scriptures slaves release initial screenings years slave premiered film festival august later screened toronto international film festival september october october philadelphia film festival october november announced secured deal distribute years slave international markets april weeks principal photography agreed finance film distribution pact 20th century fox acquired film united_states distribution rights instead paying distribution rights deal share box office proceeds independently financed film years slave commercially released october united_states limited release theaters wide release subsequent weeks film initially scheduled released late december test screenings led decision release date film distributed entertainment united_kingdom marketing film explicit nature award contender status years slave financial success watched closely analysts compared film content drama films similar vein list passion christ box office successes despite respective subject matters tough subject matter handled films tough sit commercially successful said despite content film critical success assisted domestic distribution began limited released aimed primarily art house african american patrons film release gradually widened subsequent weeks similarly studio successfully years prior films descendants international release dates years slave largely delayed early order advantage attention created awards seasons marketing campaign years slave received unpaid endorsements celebrities kanye_west video posted revolt urged viewers years slave stating movie painful honest healing process kids everybody understand start understand home media following cinematic release theaters region code edition film released dvd united_states march special features dvd include closed option creative minds assembled director bring journey life bonus selection film creating dramatic score feature supplemental fashion definition blu ray disc version film released day special features include historical portrait director documentary feature cast crew interviews team special feature score selection additional viewing option film media format video demand available reception box office years slave earned million including million united_states opening limited release united_states years slave debuted weekend total screens screen average following weekend film entered expanding theatres grossing additional million continued improve weekend grossing million locations film release expanded locations november years slave 10th illegally downloaded movie million downloads according variety critical response years slave received near universal acclaim critics audiences acting particularly direction screenplay production values solomon account film review aggregator rotten_tomatoes reports critics gave film certified fresh rating based reviews average score site consensus stating far comfortable viewing years slave brutal look american slavery brilliant possibly essential cinema metacritic review aggregator assigned film weighted average score based reviews mainstream critics considered universal acclaim currently site highest rated films best reviewed film reported audiences gave film grade time heralded film director stating film closer storytelling 1970s exploitation slavery goodbye artist draws parallels nazi_germany saying shows racism aside inefficient argued nazi_germany lost war diverted manpower killing jews exploit brilliance jewish scientists building weapons slave owners energy slaves sport waking night dance wife cruel pleasure hitfix gave film rating stating years powerful drama driven bold direction finest performance career continued praising performances citing film breakthrough performance find making way march admired film gorgeous cinematography musical score moving scores time paul guardian scored film stars writing stark years slave great film necessary entertainment_weekly praised new movie landmark cruelty movie life gets taken away lets touch life commented positively performance stating years slave lets sin america open eyes moments hard watch movie humanity grace moment feel seeing essential extraordinary performance holds movie allows watch plays solomon powerful inner strength soft silent nightmare solomon daily existence peter rolling_stone gave film star rating said won able powder corner mind forget brilliant straight classic later named film best movie wrote review new_york_times genius years slave insistence evil terror souls bound bodies enduring terrible price daily_telegraph granted film maximum score stars stating nobility remarkable film soul praising performances slant_magazine said signature visual composition sound design portrays realism experience complicated relationships master slave master master slave slave creator series wire highly praised movie commenting marks time history entertainment industry albeit international creative input managed directly slavery maintain gaze film criticisms village_voice critical film praising work stated picture stays safe steps away dangerous raw feeling depicts cruelty aesthetic purity slate criticized story saying years slave constructed story man trying return family offering viewer way protagonist maybe need story framed individual scale order understand effect invested hero millions victims forced imagine enslaved want imagine special person escaped system attempted crush describing hero problem concluded review explaining handle years slave don expect years slave time soon years forget opined essentially tone deaf comes performance skirts casting film lacks necessary emotional continuity don think movie denying way intentionally denies conventions structured ending supposed function release organize sense badly needs feels exit cast wildly uneven guardian black canadian author said seeing years slave explaining convinced black race films created white liberal film audience white guilt feel bad regardless race films unlikely teach don know accolades years slave received numerous awards nominations earned academy_awards including won golden globe award best motion picture drama film won bafta award best film received best actor award addition motion picture named best films ongoing critics appearing critics lists film number spot film released production year
12 Years a Slave (film)