The main character in the movie is Solomon Northup. He lives in New York with his wife and two children. He is a free man so he earns a living as a violinist. He is going away on what he thought was a business trip only to be drugged and sold into slavery under a false name of Platt. His first owner, Ford, appreciated him and his talents and he was doing okay at the plantation. He was creating great ideas and doing advanced work for the plantation. It all went wrong because the overseer, Tibeats, was very brutal and mean to all of the plantation workers. He was starting to whip Solomon for no apparent reason and Solomon wouldn't take it. He took the whip from Tibeats and started whipping and beating him instead. This part made me particularly happy because I hated the way Solomon was being treated. However, Tibeats wanted to kill Solomon for this and tried hanging him. Ford stopped the people from hanging Solomon and protected him overnight from Tibeats because he knew that they were going to try and kill Solomon no matter what Ford said. Solomon couldn't be protected at this plantation anymore so he was sold to a different one. Ford was one of my favorite characters because he seemed to actually care about the slaves that ended up at his plantation.
Solomon was sold to a cotton plantation to a very strict man named Epps. All of the workers spent many hot hours picking cotton and if they didn't pick "enough" cotton, they were punished. Another character is introduced here and her name is Patsey. The plantation owners wife did not like Patsey at all and threw things at her and punished her even though she was their best worker by far. If that wasn't enough, Epps would take her at night and rape her. Patsey and Solomon became friends and helped each other endure the hardships of being a slave. They both were whipped and beaten in many different occasions. It amazes me the fight all of the slaves had and how hard they fought to stay alive in the horrible conditions they were given.
This whole movie baffles me because of how horribly the slaves were treated. It was like people didn't believe they were human. They were literally tossed around from one plant to the next like they were just a piece of property. How could someone whip another person and laugh about it? That is just so inhuman and I don't think I will ever get it. What even started the idea that African Americans were beneath white people?
This is where my description of the movie ends but here's a little tip. The end of the movie made me very happy but it also made me sad. What could that mean? You won't find out until you watch the movie, which you should do very soon! I REALLY enjoyed this movie, even though it made me cry a billion times. I think sometimes people forget how lucky they are and need to be reminded to be grateful. It makes you appreciate what you have in life a whole lot more.
To watch the movie trailer click HERE! (623 words)
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