12 years a slave (2014)
12 Years a Slave by Steve McQueen takes a harsh and realistic look at the horrors of slavery utilizing a stark, realism approach to its cinematography as to properly capture the events as they really were. Because of its hyper realistic nature, 12 Years a Slave doesn't hold the same artistic liberties as films such as the grand Budapest hotel, which could deliberately subvert reality in order to allow for its vision. Instead, 12 Years a Slave's art comes from its ability to represent its reality inspired story with savage authenticity, presenting the plight of African American slaves as it presumably was, horrific. This realistic approach can be seen in the films introduction, where in two scenes McQueen captures the pain and suffering of the protagonist and his fellow slaves.
The cinematography in 12 years a slaves into is used to subtle effect so as to not distract from the immersive realism, but there are definite subtle cinematic throughout that symbolically enhance the themes on screen. One of these is the low and high angles which are assigned to the slaver and slaves respectively, classic cinematic angles which as stated in The Film Experience "...indicate psychological, moral or political meanings in a film (Corrigan, White, 2012). In 12 Years a Slave, the angles are both psychological and political, with the slaver brash and arrogant in his social position whilst the slaves are subdued and subjugated. Another example of the clever cinematography is the parallel framing between Solomon Northup and the slave girl, and Solomon and his wife. In both scene's Solomon and his partner are framed in a two shot face to face, the parallels acting as a reminder to the audience of all Solomon had lost.
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The mise en scene of the intro reflects both the time period and the social dynamics of the time. Aspects such as the way the slaves are forced to sleep on the floor in one hut demonstrates visually the dehumanization that the slaves were forced to endure. Likewise, the actions of the characters, such as the slavers sitting in the wagon fanning themselves, again reflects the social dynamics, the scene demonstrating the luxurious afforded to the slavers which the slaves were forced to do without. These elements add authenticity to the film as well as layers of subtext letting the audience figure out for themselves the plight of the slaves without constantly discussing it.
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The audio in the introductory sequence is a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The set-piece sound of the introduction is the film's non-diegetic score slow and depressing and giving the scenes an air of hopelessness. The score is juxtaposed with the other tune in the intro, the slaves chant as they work the fields. The diegetic work song, calm and methodical, contrasts with the misery of the score and reflects the difference between what the slaves projected to the world vs the pain they felt inside. This relates to the films theme of dignity and Solomon's struggle to retain it despite his situation
The introduction of 12 years a slave demonstrates how careful use of mise en scene, cinematography and audio elements can add subtext and cinematic elements to a film while still maintaining an air of realism and authenticity.
The cinematography in 12 years a slaves into is used to subtle effect so as to not distract from the immersive realism, but there are definite subtle cinematic throughout that symbolically enhance the themes on screen. One of these is the low and high angles which are assigned to the slaver and slaves respectively, classic cinematic angles which as stated in The Film Experience "...indicate psychological, moral or political meanings in a film (Corrigan, White, 2012). In 12 Years a Slave, the angles are both psychological and political, with the slaver brash and arrogant in his social position whilst the slaves are subdued and subjugated. Another example of the clever cinematography is the parallel framing between Solomon Northup and the slave girl, and Solomon and his wife. In both scene's Solomon and his partner are framed in a two shot face to face, the parallels acting as a reminder to the audience of all Solomon had lost.
The mise en scene of the intro reflects both the time period and the social dynamics of the time. Aspects such as the way the slaves are forced to sleep on the floor in one hut demonstrates visually the dehumanization that the slaves were forced to endure. Likewise, the actions of the characters, such as the slavers sitting in the wagon fanning themselves, again reflects the social dynamics, the scene demonstrating the luxurious afforded to the slavers which the slaves were forced to do without. These elements add authenticity to the film as well as layers of subtext letting the audience figure out for themselves the plight of the slaves without constantly discussing it.The audio in the introductory sequence is a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The set-piece sound of the introduction is the film's non-diegetic score slow and depressing and giving the scenes an air of hopelessness. The score is juxtaposed with the other tune in the intro, the slaves chant as they work the fields. The diegetic work song, calm and methodical, contrasts with the misery of the score and reflects the difference between what the slaves projected to the world vs the pain they felt inside. This relates to the films theme of dignity and Solomon's struggle to retain it despite his situation The introduction of 12 years a slave demonstrates how careful use of mise en scene, cinematography and audio elements can add subtext and cinematic elements to a film while still maintaining an air of realism and authenticity.
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