155 years ago, all the American fellows witnessed the Declaration of the liberation of black slaves. It changed the America, created the possibility of Martin Luther King’s dream. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty personified by a malevolent slave owner, as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

每一年的奥斯卡都从秋季开始起跑，《为奴十二载》是2013年无可争议的领跑者。美国影评界对此片美誉不断的同时又多少有一丝尴尬，这样一部直面美国历史上最黑暗一页的优秀电影，却出自一位青年英国导演，史蒂夫·麦昆的手笔。

根据真实事件和真人传记改编，《为奴十二载》讲述了1841年，住在纽约州萨拉托加的自由身份的黑人所罗门被欺诈绑架后卖到南方庄园，几易其主，最终重返自由的故事。原著小说几乎与《汤姆叔叔的小屋》同时出版，却从未获得过后者得到的那么多关注。

The movie is based on the real life and writings of Solomon Northrup, a free man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery from 1841-53. Northrup's story provides us a look inside the despicable institution of slavery. Needless to say, it's a painful and sad process made even more emotional by the work of director Steve McQueen。McQueen takes a very direct approach. Not much is left to the imagination. Torture, abuse, cruelty and misery take up the full screen. The only subtlety comes from the terrific work of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northrup. His facial expressions and eyes are more powerful and telling than any lines of dialogue could be.

You will not find many details from the movie here. This is one to experience for yourself. It lacks the typical Hollywood agenda when it comes to American history. Instead this era is presented through the eyes of a single wronged man and his quest to return to his wife and kids, no matter the inhumane obstacles. We see Paul Giamatti as an emotionless, all-business slave trader. Benedict Cumberbatch is a plantation owner who has a heart, but lacks business savvy. And finally we enter the world of cotton farmer Michael Fassbender, who twists Bible scripture into threats directed at the slaves - his "property".

奴隶制对于所有黑人艺术家来说，都是心口大石般的题材。越是沉重越容易发挥失常，企图往史诗上努，反而不小心丢掉个人风格。家中长辈亲历过奴隶制的史蒂夫·麦昆不仅有拍奴隶制电影的雄心，还有方法。他说 “我一直在寻找一个进入奴隶制的角度，后来我找到了这本书《为奴十二载》，一个自由的人，因为绑架而被卖为奴。选择自由之身的角度是因为，其实我们每一个人都可以是他。”

Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about 12 Years a Slave is the way that it portrays slavery itself. Instead of taking the easy way out and limiting his exploration of the topic solely to the slaves, Steve McQueen increases the scope and we see how it affects those who profited by it. Take Benedict Cumberbatch's character. A seemingly decent and caring man who treats his slaves with some semblance of respect and kindness. He comes off as a relatively good man who is trapped within the powerful confines of the institution of slavery. In 12 Years a Slave, slavery is shown as a horrifying and destructive social construct that drains the humanity from everyone it touches, turning good men into moral quandaries, turning flawed men into monsters, and turning an entire race of people into livestock and tools.

视觉艺术家出身的史蒂夫·麦昆，对画面美感有让人羡慕的天赋，可以用摄影机作油画。密西西比河壮阔的风光，农奴采棉花时的歌谣，漫长岁月日复一日，像黑童话一样的残忍之美。麦昆三部曲背后功不可没的摄影师Sean Bobbitt对导演很是赞许：“一个不受惯例与规则约束的人，有天赋又有情感，无畏又无限。” 而且他还正值壮年，又符合好莱坞对种族多样化的需求，封他为史派克·李之后最值得期待的黑人导演，当之无愧。

This is not a film for the faint of heart. It is above everything else a passion play about psychical and mental torture. Our star Chiwetel Eijofor is asked to give the bravest and deepest of performances. His ability to suffer so realistically on the camera is hard to watch. We empathize with Solomon because Eijofor instills within him a great deal of intelligence and dignity. I think this is why the character and performance resonate so well with the theme of the film. Eijofor 's body takes punishment in horrendously violent scenes but it is the scenes of mental torture which are almost more angering. To see Northup being talked down to and berated as a stupid animal is horrible. McQueen and Eijofor take time to show Northup before he comes to his tragic fate. There's a great scene in the middle of the film that delves into the idea of being a slave and being a free black man. Northup is horrified to see his fellow slaves being restricted in their mental growth. Northup wants to regain the dignity a slave can never have. Eijofor's intelligence and audacity are perfect for this characterization.

Throughout the movie, Solomon has flashbacks of his previous life, where he was free, and had a steady career. These constant flashbacks are what give him the hope to survive and dream that he might escape the jaws of slavery. Along his journey he tries to write several letters to his family, so that he could become free again, however his letters always failed to get sent someway or another. In fact, he even tried paying a white guy to send his letter for him, but this also failed to get sent. However, Solomon makes a deal with a white man that the white man will do everything he can to spread the word of Solomon's enslavement to his family. Which he eventually does, and escapes Solomon from slavery.

布莱德·皮特作为制片人之一，在片中为自己谋了一个真善美的角色——同情友善，主张废奴的加拿大人，最终搭救所罗门于水火。十二年后，所罗门终于迈进纽约家门，小女儿怀抱婴儿迎接他，外孙正是以父亲的名字命名。新的生命昭示着新天新地的变革终于就要来临。十二年，在东方是一个本命轮回。

It's probably safe to say that few things can prepare you for this film, but not in the ways you'd fear. Being the product of a mostly non-American cast and a black, non-American director frees it of any handicapping guilt, and allows 12 Years A Slave to use slavery not as an end in itself, but mere legal context to the tolerance of cruelty. The very nature of the plot helps in this regard too, and in retrospect one of the most chilling aspects of the story is that so many characters are outraged by protagonist Solomon's plight not because he is a human being entitled to dignity, but because he is "illegally acquired". With the exception of Brad Pitt's slightly distracting cameo, the same noble whites who would save Solomon do not spare a second glance at his fellow slaves, the latter born into their condition. On the intellectual plane, the film gives us something new. That is not to say that it isn't brutal, it is. Often viscerally so.

史蒂夫·麦昆早在完成长片处女作《饥饿》的时候，就在英国电影杂志《视与听》的专访中说过：“这样的事还是不断在发生，过去和现在都是。这是个被扫到地毯下的故事，是时候该有人把地毯掀起来给大家看看了。”《饥饿》中，气若悬丝将死的爱尔兰共和军革命者有着一颗山野间奔跑的少年初心；《羞耻》中，最荒唐纵欲无法自拔的纽约客有着最哀伤贞洁，深情的眼神；《为奴十二载》中，沦为奴隶失去一切的所罗门在的麦昆的镜头下，却比任何一位奴隶主都要文明、体面和高贵。他说：“我不想只是生存，我想要活着。”

还有许多有意味的好故事，都被扫进地毯下，被人们默契地逐渐遗忘了，而掀起地毯需要足够的胆识，只有真正无畏而自由的艺术家，才有勇气掀起地毯拍电影。仅从这一点来说，在戛纳、威尼斯电影节均有斩获的史蒂夫·麦昆就配得上今年奥斯卡竞赛季最大的呼声和拥戴，他正向当代大匠之域踏下扎实的一步。