Solomon Northup's Odyssey: "Twelve Years a Slave"

I didn't know what to expect from this movie, having never read the book or watched another version of the story. Myself said, "Who is that gorgeous man?" I looked on the sleeve and replied to myself, "It's Avery Brooks!" This man is such a fine actor that I knew this would be an emotional experience. Solomon Northup was born a free man and made his living as a carpenter and played the fiddle for occasional dances and parties. In 1841, his "friends" convinced him to go to Washington, DC, to make some money playing his fiddle. However, he was drugged, beaten and sold to a slave trader. He was taken on a ship to New Orleans and was fortunate to be bought by a rather benevolent plantation owner, Mr. Davis, although he suffered some abuse, the worst of which was his captivity and the fact that his wife didn't know what happened to him. Later, he was sold to Mr. Epps, who recognized his value but did not treat him as well. During his twelve years as a captive, he was able to smuggle out two letters to his wife, who sought help in finding him.I was very pleased with this movie and will undoubtedly watch it again.

This movie i have on vhs i wanted it on dvd. This is a very good movie good picture and it has history about african americans and how they were treated, it is good to know what went on in slavery times so that the african american children can know and understand why it is so inportant to vote get an education because this is what our ancestors has fought and died for, very good movie i recommend for anyone to buy this movie if they want to know some history and see what it was like in slavery times.

Excellent movie! I am glad I purchased it because we will probably watch it again. I tried to download to our computer so it would not eat up our wifi time but it would not allow me to do so. I was only given the option to download to Kindle Fire. I did not do so because I was afraid if I download to Kindle then we would be able to watch it on TV. Which I would have be given the option to download to PC since I watch it through the computer, hooked to my TV. I have a Smart TV but did not pull it in through this option. I am getting smarter about these things but did not research enough to know if I could have pulled it in through the Smart TV option. Excellent movie! Thanks.

I'll admit I ordered this because I confused it with the 2014 movie by Steve McQueen.It's actually a 1984 adaptation for PBS's American Playhouse.That said, instead of contacting Amazon customer service for a refund, I watched it. Its acting isn't as good; its production values are not as world class, and it's not in HD, but it's a version worth watching. If I were a teacher I might do a unit where the class reads the book and watches both versions to compare the historic view of slavery contrasted with both adaptations, and why the two directors chose to emphasize certain events depicted in the book over others. I've not read the book, but I'm sure each adaptation eliminated certain scenes and characters and added others. Also worth a discussion.

I have been looking for this for years. Mr. Brooks play Solomon Northrup in the earlier verse. His anger, as Solomon, is so thick you can cut it with a knife. The disk was in excellent condition.

I didn't even know there was an older version. Believe it or not I am rating this movie before I even receive it. But after watching the newer version of this story I'm sure it will be as good. Simply because the true story of Solomon Northup is riviting. I need this for my collection.UPDATE: I was absolutely correct about my initial impression and review of this movie. It was excellent and I was not dissappointed in the least. This movie has the same feel as a very popular slave saga made many years ago. I have all of them and I'm very happy to have this movie in my collection.

My 11th grade students read 12 Years a Slave and then we watch this film as a critical viewing exercise. After reading the book, students are appalled at the whitewashing and stereotyping this film promotes. And I'm in Utah--not known for its diverse population.Patsy (in the book, a most tragic figure) is replaced by "Jenny," a fictional character who welcomes her "owner's" sexual advances. Epps cares tenderly for the character of Jenny, unlike his lust and cruelty toward the actual, real-life Patsy.While all the persons described in the book are real, actual people, the movie adds fictional characters. One of them, Noah, is a "retired" slave who acts as the moral compass of the story. He is apparently necessary, as Solomon is portrayed as weak and immoral, unlike in the book. Northup's true upstanding character is an important attribute to lend his book-length narrative credibility. The film disregards this for the sake of drama.The most laughable moment in the movie is a long, suspenseful sequence of floating lumber down the river. Will the wood float? The dramatic music suggests great peril and risk where there is none.This film reduces Solomon Northup's powerful book into a tragedy of lost love. I first purchased this film because the reviews were so positive. However, this film does NOT portray slavery "as it really was." In a hundred little ways, it softens the harsh reality to appease the (white) viewer.My recommendation: READ THE BOOK

I watch Solomon Northup's Odyssey: "Twelve Years a Slave" with my 8th grade students as part of our unit on antebellum Louisiana. I like to use this because it is based on a true story and I have a copy of the book in my classroom that I allow the students to look through if they wish. The movie does a good job of addressing the issues of slavery without getting so in depth that I can't show it to students. I used to have it on video, but DVD makes it so easy to keep track of each class and which "chapter" they stopped on, so they can continue the next day.

An interesting film with a happy ending, always a good thing if watching a film for entertainment. It was obviously a condensed version of the book and the fact that a man could be kidnapped into slavery from one State to another seems quite hard to believe but of course it was a different world back then. It seemed to me a lighter version of Roots, which was about the slave trade from Africa. However, Roots was filmed over a much longer time period. The slaves in this film did seem to be wearing better clothing than the white worker which I doubt would have been the case at the time. The sound production at the beginning was not what it should have been along with the very darkened scenes but it did improve and I enjoyed the film. Great actors and film sets. Altogether a rather good film.

This is a gripping tale based on the true life experiences of Solomon Northup. Born free in a northern US state, he is tricked into slavery and ends up living in bondage for 12 years before being liberated. Recommended viewing.

Not as good as I thought it was going to be. A lot of salient events were left out! ROOTS was more in keeping with events.

I spent quite some time in the Southern States in the 1960s and appreciated the coloured situation at that time which I found made me feel very uneasy and am now pleased that equality exists.

ok