While Hollywood has often been more than happy to examine the wrong-doings of other nations it has rarely had the honesty to project its ire against the bad deeds of America itself, preferring instead to serve up hagiographic movies in which America is "good" and its enemies "evil". This simplistic revisionist approach to history is completely lacking in 12 Years a Slave, British director Steve McQueen's intricate adaptation of the Solomon Northup's memoirs of his time spent in slavery. The shameful period of America's past is explored in all its unflinching brutality, with exceptionally strong performances throughout, particularly from Chiwetel Ejiofor in the central role and Lupita Nyong'o as the abused slave Patsey, which rightly earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Unpleasant at times 12 Years A Slave may be, but then that's the only appropriate way to depict such a cruel system as slavery.
