I'm too young to know the impact that Roots had on blacks and America back when it was released but I have to imagine that it had the same heartbreaking and inspiring affect that '12 Years A Slave' had on me. I've seen Amistad, Glory and other films like it that capture and retell certain parts of the story of slavery but I've never seen any film as raw, honest and emotionally charged as '12 Years A Slave'.
I had the opportunity to see it this past weekend during its limited run in DC. The theater was packed 20 minutes before the movie started with just as many pale faces as dark. I actually ended up sitting next to a white couple and as the movie progressed I noticed the couple exhaling deeply or twisting in their seats just as myself and my fiance were as we witnessed some gut-wrenching and heartbreaking scenes that helped tell the true story of Solomon Northup. By the end of the movie sniffles could be heard throughout the theater as guys on dates tried to fight back their tears (more than likely unsuccessfully) and as some of the women weren't able to.
It's impossible not to leave that movie changed in some way, with the images (some very graphic and detailed) hanging over your head. I'm no movie critic but I will say that it is a film that everyone should see at least once, if not for the tale of struggle, hope, and perseverance than for the perfection of the film-making in-and-of itself.
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