Jealousy. Ahh,Yes. Jealousy. A recurring theme all throughout 12 Years. Sometimes subtle & sometimes practically reeking out from greasy plantation overseers. Many times obvious. Such as when a porcelain dish is violently thrown at a beautiful "Negress" face, done so by the wife (who is bravely portrayed by wonderful Sarah Paulson) during a jealous fit. Back to the demon we know as jealousy. We all know it leads to contempt. It resides in the subconscious envious brain. Do you ignore it?
Clandestine. Hidden. In the dark. When one's life is in danger - suddenly things which were taken for granted like writing, reading, or I don't know, things like FREEDOM, suddenly need to be occult. Solomon who was warned to not say where he came from and to never mention he had a family also had to hide the fact he was educated. That was to survive. To persevere so he can one day, maybe, see his family again. Last week was national Coming Out day. October 13th, which fell on a Friday. Exactly seven days later 12 Years will come out on the 18th. What does this have to do with anything? Well, everything. What do you occult, hide, not tell, (however you want to word it)? Imagine having to supremely dumb down your intellect to the point where your soul is beaten down, your posture personifying your inner and outer strife? I can not. Kinda. Like those two groups of friends you keep separate. What you mention or choose to not mention will most likely solicit a, "That's weird.", or personal projected assumptions & short comings justified. Whatever. Suddenly my hidden sexual preferences seem very minor after watching Solomon carving his children's and wife's names unto the bottom of his fiddle. The spot carved resting under his chin some inches away from his bleeding heart. My being afraid telling my racist, homophobic mum that I'm bisexual and heavily into women's rear ends takes a back seat for another 5 years or so, with absolutely no regrets. Everything turns into an apparition anyways. Like the band of assimilated Native Americans who disappear just as quickly as they appear, in the dense woodlands of Solomon's new hell.
The real issues here are the sorry putrid souls which were rotten & ridden with psychosis, vice, fetishismo and master/slave mentality shackles. Who needs who most? Wait. Am I describing the mid 1800s or the new teen 2000's?? Mr. Fassbender's rendition of the forefather to the crazy, empathy lacking, enslaved to their testostorone, on the low lover of whatever, S&M, bondaged, sad soulless, bad asses which make our economies go around, is nothing short from a hard-on.
Wait! There is hope!
Brad Pitt is smart. As a producer and keeping it cute with a cameo (thank you GOD - because for some seconds, I was tempted to take my bathroom break when I suddenly saw him Quaking) we are blessed by his short appearance, but most importantly Solomon is blessed. For it is this hairy faced, God fearing, dutiful traveler who extends his neck and connects Solomon to his distant life, freeing him from the insanity which runs through the veins of most if not all.
Than if all that crazy shit is not running through you, than who are you? A distant relative of a former bi-racial slave? A great, great, great grandson of a lunatic who secretly coveted and publicly shamed? Or just a person who abides by the rule that Knowledge Reigns Supreme? It truly sucks that Solomon was put on this path, but because of him an account, a reminder, would have never graced my eyes, penetrating my soul. If you're still in you're zombied out, Eyes Wide Shut, state of mind than the laws right under your noses are gonna to continue being re-written and the kidnapping of souls continuing. The demands of the unsympathetic, hateful, cruel task maker forever creating havoc. The cycle never ending.
