Synopsis

In 1841, Solomon Northup is a free African-American man working as a violinist, living with
his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, New York . Two white men, Brown and Hamilton,
offer him short-term employment as a musician if he will travel with them to Washington, D.C.
However, once they arrive, the duo drug Northup and conspire to deliver him to a slave pen run
by a man named Burch. Northup is later shipped to New Orleans along with others who have
been detained unwillingly.
A slave trader named Freeman gives Northup the identity of "Platt", a runaway slave from
Georgia, and sells him to plantation owner William Ford . Due to tension between Northup and
another plantation worker, Ford sells him to another slave owner named Edwin Epps . In the
process, Northup attempts to explain that he is actually a free man, but to no avail. At the
plantation, Northup meets Patsey, a favored slave, whom Epps regularly rapes and abuses.
Sometime the cotton farm of Epps experience cotton pest, as a result he leases his slaves to
the neighboring plantation of cotton. In the new plantation of cotton, Northup became fortunate,
his new boss is very kind to him. He let Northup to hold his money and to play violin on a wedding.
Because he holds his own money, he use it to send a letter to his friends back there in New
York City, but unfortunately, he failed to send the letter because the person who will send the
letter betray him to Epps. Northup convince Epps that the person who will send the letter to New
York is a liar.
Northup begins working on the construction of a gazebo with a Canadian laborer named
Samuel Bass. Bass is unsettled by the brutal way that Epps treats his slaves and expresses his
opposition to slavery, earning Epps's enmity. Northup later reveals his kidnapping to Bass. Once
again, Northup asks for help in getting a letter to Saratoga Springs. Bass, risking his life, agrees to
send it. One day, Northup is called over by the local sheriff, who arrives in a carriage with another
man.
The local sheriff asked series of question to verify his identity. Northup recognizes that the
sheriff’s companion is an old friend in New York and he came to set Northup free. After being a
slave for 12 years, finally Northup became a free man again. He finally return to his family in New
York and eventually, met his family with its new additional members. He put his case on trial
hopping that the person who was responsible for everything that happened to him will be
punished but he failed to get justice.
Comparison
Maganda ang Maputi VS. Maganda ang Kayumangi.
In the history of Philippine Entertainment, the lead role is always for the actresses or actors who
are mestizos or those who are gifted with perfect nose, skin height, eyes, and even mouth. This mentality
starts during Spanish and American regime. The Filipinos become obsessed to those mestizos and later
on, they developed the mentality that Maganda ang Maputi. The skin tone of the actresses and actors
make the Filipino blind of the fact that it is not about the color but the skills of the actor or actress. In this
times, this mentality was still in the head of Filipinos.

The movie 12 Years a Slave proved to me that Maganda ang Kayumangi. This movie showcases
actors who are not mestizos but still this movie gain prestigious awards because the actors and actresses
in the movie show something which is very amazing despite of their colors or looks. I think the mestizos
of Philippine Entertainment is no match with the actors of 12 Years a Slave.

Masaya ang Palabas VS. Masaaya ang Palabas na may Laman.

Filipino people are fund of watching shows like dramas. In order to be satisfied, there must be
bakbakan, iyakan, sayawan,kantahan,and tawanan. In his review Tiongson point out that Filipno are
always happy whenever there was a show, Filipinos always believed on the fact that Masaya ang may
Palabas. In his review Tiongson realized that Filipino are fund of watching and producing shows which
are meaningless in terms of content. In his review he made me realize that shows here in the Philippines
do not require critical thinking because the plot of the shows here are very shallow. This belief is very
much observed today, one of the example is FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano because the scenes is very expected,
there is no twist, and it discusses common facts that do not requires critical thinking skills, aside from that
it contains the 3 out of 5 most common ingredients in a show, the bakbakan, iyakan, and the tawanan.

In his review, Tiongson said that the shows of the Philippine must be Masaya ang Palabas na
may Laman. The movie 12 Years a Slave is a perfect example for this idea. This movie has a very good
plot, unexpected scenes, and it tackles a very serious issues like discrimination and slavery. The story of
this movie also requires critical thinking, in terms of content this movie is obviously meaningful. As a
whole, this movie proves that watching a show that possesses unfamiliar yet fresh ingredients is very fun.

Mabuti ang Inaapi VS. Mabuti ang may Sariling Isip at Gulugod

The stories or plot of Philippine shows is always another Cinderella story because the lead actor
or actress always suffer from the hardships brought by the evil step mother, sister, father, and even from
the goons. The Filipino people are always fund of making and watching shows where the lead character
is somewhat naive because he/she has a choice to fight back but he/she chooses not to do it. Since the
lead role is naive the viewers and the creators of our shows became a little bit naive also, because even
we know what will happen next on our shows we keep on patronizing it while the producers continue to
do such shows with this old fashion format. Those facts is on the category of Mabuti ang Inaapi. The
most common example of this are the shows like Mara Clara, Analiza, and the movie Sarah ang Munting
Prinsesa.

To make a contrast with that fact or idea, the movie 12 Years a Slave is perfect for that. This movie
is under the category of Mabuti ang may Sariling Isip at Gulugod. The lead role in this movie Solomon
Northup don’t go with the flow, because even he is in a hopeless situation he never show that he is weak.
His life in the movie is not anchored on the two sides of a coin or luck, he work hard to make his life better
unlike the life of lead role on our shows who is always anchored on luck. The lead role in the movie shows
this idea on scene where the lead character fight back to the white foreman who felt envy with him.

Maganda pa ang Daigdig VS. Gaganda pa ang Daigdig

Magic has been a great part of every Filipino shows ever since the history of Philippine
Entertainment begun, because with the flick of an eye everything could change. No matter how hard the
problem was, there will be a hero to save the lead character of our shows. The ugly or the pathetic main
character became something after a short period of time, and the antagonist of all the story eventually
receives the punishment that he or she truly deserves. The Philippine Entertainment made the impossible
very possible. Filipinos are fund of making happy ending even though it compromises the whole plot of
the story, Filipino believes that every show must end happily, and that was the fourth disvalue that
Tiongson always saw on our shows Maganda pa ang Daigdig.

Tiongson stated on his review that in order for a show to be beautiful it must be on the category
of Gaganda pa ang Daigdig. The reality must be prioritized to make the show very interesting and
informative to the viewers. This very highlighted on the movie, because they showcase the reality of being
a slave. Instead of deceiving this movie open the eyes of its viewer, this part is shown in the scene when
Mr. Ford, the first owner of Solomon go to the store to buy slaves. In that part the slave which are also
humans were treated like dolls, that scene is very similar to what the history narrates. The movie 12 Years
a Slave set the reality free from its cage.

Reaction
When I first saw the movie title I felt that this movie was really boring because it is based on true
story of a person. Aside from that fact, I felt that this story was boring because of the touch of history on
its plot, but as I watch the movie and read articles about this my perception regarding this film change.

As I searched on the internet I found out that this movie won on the Oscar’s, at first I asked myself
why and after half hour watching this film I found the reason, the reason for wining in the Oscar’s is that
the cinematography was very perfect because it moves me, when I was watching I felt that I was on that
movie too.

This story moved my emotions, because as I watched this film I felt every emotions that the actors
are portraying and for that I commend the actors and actresses. I could also say that movie is a good
history teacher because every scene in this movie depicts the reality of life of a slave in the past.

The story of this movie is written very well because the twist and turns of the story was much
unexpected unlike our films here in the Philippines. Because of that fact I was challenged to use my critical
thinking skills to understand the whole story. The issues tackled in this movie was very serious. This movie
taught me a lot of things about discrimination in America during the 19th century. I felt sad because this
movie shows what are the slaves are enduring those time. I was also amazed by this movie because there
was no dull scene, every scene in this movie was worth watching.