Back in January – prior to the existence of LCHC – I took to my preferred writing outlet at the time (i.e. Zuckerberg’s Monolith) to list my Most Anticipated Films of 2013. I ranked Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave all the way up at third on said list, sharing only the following for an explanation:
Steve McQueen is a genius. This will be the film where most of the world finally finds that out.
Hunger was one of the more haunting, effecting film experiences I’ve had in the last decade, and Shame is a courageously truthful and personal film anchored by one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. So, if you are scoring at home, McQueen is 2-for-2 in delivering captivating, truly great filmmaking.
Well, the first trailer for the director’s latest was released this week, and all I keep thinking is that I may have short-changed him in using something as basic as “genius”.
See the first full trailer (and theatrical poster) for what promises to be one of the best films released this year, after the jump….
Aside from its ace director, the film and its story should be very well-served by having arguably the most talented cast of any film to come out this year: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Michael K. Williams, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Quvenzhané Wallis, Sarah Paulson…the mind boggles at the picture’s IMdb roster.
Ejiofor in particular looks to be delivering a career-defining lead performance here, and he has to be considered one of the early frontrunners for Best Actor, while Fassbender appears to once again set to remind us that there may not be a better actor working today, and his role as a despicable slave owner should give him a great deal to chew on.
Based on the 1853 autobiography of freeborn carpenter, violinist, and family man Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped in Washington D.C in 1841 and sold into slavery to work on plantations in Louisiana.
For those unaware, McQueen is black, which seems very relevant when discussing the film’s message and its politics — as much I enjoyed Lincoln and Django last year, neither stared its subject matter in the face as frankly as McQuen promises to here; Hollywood is far overdue in producing an honest, gripping, perhaps horrifying (and hopefully white savior-less) story about American slavery that is not directed by a white man.
The trailer immediately makes clear that McQueen has created a meticulously designed world for this characters to live in, and the use of various Hans Zimmer scores in this clip gives it an appropriately epic feeling.
I am hoping – and expecting, actually – that Twelve Years a Slave makes it to TIFF this fall; Shame and Hunger both made the journey from Venice to Canada several years ago, and the film could use TIFF’s platform as a launching pad for its awards campaign.
Again, I cannot wait for this. Twelve Years a Slave opens on October 18.
Low Culture, High Concept 
LCHC Rewind: 20 Most Anticipated Films of 2013 – Low Culture, High Concept
Have already seen this in a focus group type preview – felt a little long (makes sense since it wasn’t final cut) and very difficult to watch given the subject matter and how graphic it was. Also, a little fuzzy in the underlying message it was getting at. Great performances though by most of the major cast. Incredibly small role for Pitt. My guess is they clean a lot of this up before the final cut. Overall, interesting but not something I considered amazing.
Part of me is incredibly jealous that you’ve already seen it, but an even bigger part of me is thankful that the first time I’ll get to see it will be when McQueen believes it is in its final, finished state. As you rightly note, a lot can change before the final cut of any film, and this is especially true for someone like McQueen who relies so little on direct/balant exposition and instead needs his themes to be conveyed through ‘mood’ and silence more than words (at least in his films to date). Not surprised at all to hear that Pitt is almost a non-factor – I was really surprised that he was in the trailer as much as he was, and expected that 50% of his contribution to the final cut is right there in the promo. I will admit that your notes here have me slightly worried, but I will try to keep the faith and trust in McQueen. Hoping to form my own thoughts at the proper World Premiere at TIFF.