BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / 12 Years a Slave

**Posted by SolarSystem** November 19, 2013 11:49 am

And the thing with this movie is, that we're certainly not talking about gratuitous violence here. Of course you can make a film about slavery without showing violence of any kind, but it would be a completely different movie then. I haven't seen the movie yet, either, but I am pretty sure that McQueen did what he did for a good reason. I'm convinced that in this case showing violence serves a very important purpose.

Having said that, I can absolutely understand when people don't want to see violence of any kind in a movie and I would never try to convince them to go and see it if they don't want to.
And I'm not sure about the word 'pornographic' in this context, either. I would call it a graphic depiction of violence, and that's it.

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** November 20, 2013 1:39 am

I was trying to think of how to explain why I understood how the word pornographic could be used to describe the violence in this film, when Mrs. Watson helped me out by posting a dictionary definition. Thank you very much! I have seen the word used to indicate something extreme or over the top, in the sense that something is obscenely more than the usual (whatever it is). So because the violence in 12 Years is frequently up close, in-your-face, more graphic than typically seen in movies, and occurs for a longer duration than is common in movies, I think the use of the word pornographic is apt. But, certainly, other people may disagree and that is fine. I don't want to belabor the issue, just wanted to explain how/why some people might see it that way.

**Posted by Davina** November 21, 2013 8:15 pm

Tonnaree, just don't watch Shame with an elderly maiden aunt...if you get my drift.

**Posted by tonnaree** November 24, 2013 10:09 pm

Davina wrote:
Tonnaree, just don't watch Shame with an elderly maiden aunt...if you get my drift.

Drift totally gotten. I hear Mr. Fassbender is not shy.

**Posted by tonnaree** November 24, 2013 10:10 pm

Sometimes a work of art, book, music or film, moves you so profoundly that words are simply inadequate to describe the experience.

12 Years a Slave.

**Posted by Davina** November 24, 2013 11:09 pm

Steve produces works of art, most certainly! That is his background and it shows in all of his films.

**Posted by kittykat** December 13, 2013 12:09 am

It's up for a few Golden Globes ^^

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/12-years-slave-american-hustle-lead-golden-globes-134604292.html

**Posted by Davina** December 14, 2013 3:53 pm

Yay!

**Posted by gently69** January 9, 2014 11:01 am

Hmm... starts in Germany next Thursday. But I think I have to wait until the DVD release to watch it in the original version.
Never thought I would be so keen for English versions one day...

**Posted by Pav** January 9, 2014 11:12 am

Don't they have original versions with subtitles in German cinemas? In the Czech Republic there are two versions, one dubbed and one with subtitles, so you can choose, or there is only one version with subtitles (or dubbed if it's a film for children).

**Posted by gently69** January 9, 2014 11:53 am

Only sometimes they do. Most times the big blockbusters are shown in both versions. But most times only for a few screening and some only in smaller cinemas. I will have a look if the cinema where I watched The Hobbit shows it.

**Posted by Harriet** January 9, 2014 7:41 pm

Just a glance:

**Posted by SusiGo** January 9, 2014 7:47 pm

Great pic. Looking forward to see the film.

**Posted by Harriet** January 9, 2014 7:50 pm

I had to take it way too quickly, the bus was already speeding up

**Posted by gently69** January 15, 2014 8:25 am

Well... planned to watch the film on monday. And also found a cinema where I can watch it in the original version.
Maybe Mary Me joins me again.

**Posted by miriel68** January 15, 2014 9:09 am

Watched it last week on a preview in Tate Modern: a beautiful film (relatively speaking, giving the topic) although, IMO not one in which one connects emotionally with characters,,which is - probably - director's decision. All performances are top notch but it didn't feel to me like watching "characters", rather archetypes: a wronged man, a desperate mother, a kind-but-weak-slave-owner, a twisted-sadist-slave-owner, a bitch and jelous wife, a good abolitionist and so on. B. is beautiful looking in this and his performance is as good as we came to expect of him, but even he has to fit the logic of the movie and doesn't emerge, IMO, as a character, but rather a type. I am not so much surprised that 12YAS didn't get GG for performance. I think it deserves Oscar for the best picture or/and for the best director, but it is not "actors" film (quite opposite to AOC).

**Posted by Mali** January 16, 2014 3:00 pm

12 Years a Slave is nominated for 9 Oscars

http://oscar.go.com/nominees

Last edited by Mali (January 16, 2014 3:02 pm)

**Posted by TeeJay** January 16, 2014 3:15 pm

I have plans to watch it on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. In original version, of course! Thankfully one of the small cinemas in Cologne shows it in OmU. Sometimes it's difficult to even get OV screenings in the area if it's not a huge blockbuster or overly hyped movie.

**Posted by gently69** January 16, 2014 3:18 pm

Which cinema in Cologne shows it?

**Posted by TeeJay** January 16, 2014 3:44 pm

The Odeon, apparently. Quite unusual, cause the OVs/OmUs usually show at the Metropolis. Never been to the Odeon, so I have no idea what that one's like.