Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2014

Solomon Northrup, a New York free man, was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. Later he wrote a book about it. We are all righteously agreed, one would hope, on the evils of human bondage. Several Hollywood movies have touched, gingerly and obliquely, on this dark period of American history. But the true, banal evil of the practice had yet to be depicted cinematically until Steve McQueen came along and made a movie from the writings of this unique witness to history. The film demolishes several cherished fabrications about the era aimed at making us feel less ashamed. Don’t be expecting “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.” This horror-film history lesson pulls no punches. The brutality is not easy to watch (which is the point). It’s visceral, vital, unsettling and not a little existential. Yet it’s so compelling that you are pulled in from the first scene. The film revolves around Chiwetel Ejiofor’s translucent portrayal of Northrup, utterly convincing in every nuance the role demands. An arresting Michael Fassbender gives him a run for his money as a truly scary slave owner who’s unhinged on top of evil and sadistic. Also a radiant Lupita Nyong’o. Japanese Title: Soredemo Yoru wa Akeru. (133 min)