The slavery drama 12 years a slave won the academy award for best picture on sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industrys highest honor in 86 years. The online edition has duplicate pages and is missing several pages e. In addition to many other honors, it won three academy awards, including best picture, best adapted screenplay, and best supporting actress for lupita nyongo, who played patsey. Narrative of solomon northup, citizen of newyork, kidnapped in washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the red river in louisiana, is a memoir by solomon northup as told to and edited by david wilson.
The period drama 12 years a slave won the oscar for best picture, cate blanchett and matthew mcconaughey took home the top acting awards and gravity led the field with seven trophies at the 86th. Northup, a black man who was born free in new york state, details his being tricked to go to washington, d. List of accolades received by 12 years a slave film. Questions were often raised about accuracy or authenticity of books about slavery, including slave narratives. Born in july 1808, he was the son of an emancipated slave. A free africanamerican living in saratoga springs, new york, with his wife and two children, solomon was kidnapped and sold into slavery as an escaped slave named platt.
While adulations currently ring out for the film 12 years a slave, some critics have questioned why british director, steve mcqueen, chose to make an american historical film. Now the major motion picture that won the 2014 academy award for best picture, starring chiwetel ejiofor, michael fassbender, and lupita nyong o, and directed by steve mcqueen. His story became a banner of the abolitionist movement until it was overshadowed by harriet beecher stowes uncle toms cabin in the mid19th century. The bombshell book that helped ignite the american civil war. The slave narrative follows solomons incarceration fettered to chains. In it, he takes the reader on an unforgettable journey from the slave markets in washington, d. Narrative of solomon northup, a citizen of newyork, kidnapped in washington city in 1841, and.
After being held for twelve years on a series of louisiana plantations, he is eventually freed and reunited with his family. In 1841, northup chiwetel ejiofor, a free citizen, is kidnapped, stripped of his identity and sold into slavery. Though louisiana is the primary setting for the film 12 years a slave, there is a connection between oberlin and one of the characters featured in the movie. Best performance by an actress in a supporting role. This harrowing true story of solomon northup was the basis for the academy awardwinning film 12 years a slave. Critical essays novel versus film adaptation the film 12 years a slave, based on northups memoir, was released in 20 and went on to receive acclaim in the motion picture industry. Twelve years a slave originally published in 1853 with the subtitle. Film 12 years a slave years a slave is the true account of solomon northrups life. The historian who unearthed twelve years a slave the.
Its strange how awards can change your expectations for a film. As henry louis gates jr, an expert on slave narratives and consultant on the film 12 years a slave, has noted, literacy was the very commodity that separated animal from human being, slave from. The searing drama 12 years a slave was named best picture at the 86th academy awards on sunday night. Twelve years a slave is an 1853 memoir and slave narrative by american solomon northup as told to and edited by david wilson. An illustration of patseys whipping from the book 12 years a slave. This unforgettable memoir was the basis for the academy awardwinning film 12 years a slave. Twelve years a slave 1853, i have a dream 1963 and 12 years a slave 2014. Based on the autobiographical narrative 1853 of solomon northup. The complete story of the author of twelve years a slave, isbn 9781440829741, with coauthors fiske, clifford w. Now you tell me all is lost, tell no one who i am and thats the way to survive. Twelve years a slave by solomon northup waterstones. Librivox recording of twelve years a slave, by solomon northup.
Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens books this months biggest new releases. Solomon northup wins his first award of the year for 12. Now, he must find the strength to survive in this unflinching story of hope that earned a golden. In chapters i and ii, northup tells of his life as a free black man living in upstate new york. How twelve years a slave was made, 150 years before 12. Narrative of solomon northup, a citizen of newyork, kidnapped in washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the red river in louisiana is the written work of solomon northup. Steve mcqueen, director of 12 years a slave, from the foreword. In 1841, northup, a free black man, was drugged and then. Hes also the baftanominated screenwriter of 12 years a slave. The film received four nominations at the 20th screen actors guild awards, with nyongo winning the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role. Despite being excited to see it during its original theatrical run by the time 12 years a slave was winning gold statues left, right and centre i had begun to question whether this true life story of a freeman kidnapped into slavery wasnt just another awards baiting movie masquerading as a worthy prestige picture. The book twelve years a slave was published in 1853 by the american.
I hope my film can play a part in drawing attention to this important book of. Google digitizing the worlds books seems like an excellent idea, but if the results are as poor as this. John ridley shared the award with the late northup as 12 years a slave beat out fellow adaptations captain phillips, philomena, the spectacular now and what maisie knew. Northup was put to work on plantations in the state of louisiana for 12 years before. New book claims twelve years a slave is fake news from 1853. Twelve years a slave, solomon northup 1808 1863 twelve years a slave is an 1853 memoir and slave narrative by american solomon northup as told to and edited by david wilson. Website for movie adaptation of 12 years a slave view the movie website share. With chiwetel ejiofor, michael kenneth williams, michael fassbender, brad pitt. Editions of twelve years a slave by solomon northup. The book twelve years a slave is wonderfully written and sadly hundreds of stories that are true and need to be written. I hope my film can play a part in drawing attention to this important book of courage. Directed by steve mcqueen hunger, shame and scripted by john ridley red tails, 12 years a slave is a wellcrafted film that uses the topic of slavery in the precivil war u. Extracted from the new edition of twelve years a slave by solomon.
Mcpherson, pulitzer prize winning author of battle cry of freedom, in the. It almost goes without saying that you have to allow room for some creative leeway and exaggerationchanges for dramatic effect something i addressed last year with an examination of the truth vs. The books appendix c provides the publishing history for twelve years a slave during the 19th century. Its so many other things, too, as others have noted.
However, it fails to make a clearcut statement about the slavery issue or provide new insight on that dark chapter in american. The dedication reads, to harriet beecher stowe, whose name, throughout the world, is identified with the great reform. Critics choice movie awards the critics choice movie awards are bestowed annually by the broadcast film critics association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. In the antebellum united states, solomon northup, a free black man from upstate new york, is abducted and sold into slavery. Stowes a key to uncle toms cabin was published in 1853 and outlined the accuracy of the. To understand a historical development, however, a literary analysis of the works isnt sufficient to uncover all tendencies and reasons for before mentioned development. Finding the real patsey of 12 years a slave vanity fair. Images courtesy of publishers, organizations, and sometimes their twitter handles. Not hopefully for our enjoyment but giving us the understanding and knowledge not to repeat and if done and we are made aware do something about.