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Brutality goes to a whole new level

Review of 12 Years a Slave

Steve Cayer, Senior Columnist

OOOOt

t takes a lot these days for
people to wince or cringe
uncomfortably during a movie.

In 12 Years a Slave, Steve
McQueen has taken that feeling
and really built on it. He chose
to tell the true life story of
Solomon Northup, a free-born
black man in 1841.

Played by Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Northup is a professional
violinist with a wife and two
children. One day, two men
who claim to be a touring circus
trick, kidnap, and sell Northup
into slavery. Thus begins the
overwhelmingly brutal life of a
slave.

The movie is packed
with A-list actors, including
Paul Giamatti, Benedict

Cumberbatch, and Paul Dano.
Michael Fassbender has the
performance of his career

as a tyrannical, irrational,
sociopathic plantation owner

who commands the screen every

time he’s on it.

This movie is the most
realistic, brutal movie I’ve ever
seen, and it’s a triumph in
emotional delivery. McQueen
really makes you feel absolutely
everything that the slaves go
through: every beating, every
lash.

Ejiofor also has the
performance of his career,
and I wouldn’t be surprised
if he and Fassbender each get
nominations come Oscar season.

It’s a very tough movie to
get through. You might regret
it at first during the stunned
silence at the end, but then
you'll be glad you were a part of
movie history.

— ares

i

Still of Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave | Photo courtesy of Jaap Buitendijk

 

 

A Macbeth transforms
Shakespeare

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=}
al

Macbeth by Charles

Marowitz, the latest
Douglas College theatre
production, is a re-imagining of
the original Macbeth by William
Shakespeare. Although all the
dialogue is from the original
play and the plot is roughly
the same, it’s definitely not the
standard Macbeth.

Those who remember
the original play from high
school would do well to
recall what they can now, as
it may be a little confusing
otherwise. Even someone
with a good knowledge of
Macbeth would have to pay
close attention to the dialogue
in order to remember who's
who, especially since many
of the characters are changed
significantly.

A Macbeth still follows the
story of Macbeth and his wife,
Lady Macbeth, as they begin
a series of murders designed
to ensure he will be King of
Scotland for years to come.

However, in this version,

Cazzy
Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

pws.

Out, traditional plot! Out, | say!

Macbeth also has two alter ego
sons who function as internal
dialogues and reflections.
They speak sometimes
simultaneously, sometimes
separately.

The well-known Three
Witches or Weird Sisters still
guide the actions of Macbeth
on his killing spree, and
provide a steady flow and

Cast of A Macbeth | Photo courtesy of Olivia Lindgren

narration of sorts for most of
the story.

The set design, simple
costumes, and performances
in A Macbeth are all truly
magnificent. It’s clear that a
lot of effort and detail went
into getting every sound effect,
costume change, and emotional
line absolutely perfect.

All the actors give fantastic

 

renditions of their complicated
psychological characters—
especially hard to doina
re-imagined play where they
all have different motivations
from the original. Lady
Macbeth is incredibly chilling
and terrifying, especially in her
final scene, doing something
straight out of a horror film.
The Three Witches go

through a variety of delicious
manipulations throughout

the events, and are arguably
the protagonists and mischief
makers of the entire plot. Their
acting and rapid taunting of
the characters—both in and out
of story—is perhaps the most
enjoyable part of A Macbeth.

The audio and visual
effects are equally as amazing.
Realistic thunder, lightning,
and rain storms plague many
scenes, including one scene
that surprises the audience in
its visual effect.

The theatre has an
interesting stage consisting
of platforms that rise up and
fold in, allowing for a variety
of terrain. Although there are
minimalist props, the whole
play seems detailed in its
imagery

The play is quite short,
being only about an hour and
15 minutes. It’s condensed and
rearranged compared to the
original Macbeth. Fans of goth,
psychological horror, or just
plain Shakespeare and theatre
should check this one out.

A Macbeth is playing from
November 8 to 16 at Laura C
Muir Theatre. Tickets are $10-
12 and are available through
Massey Theatre at 604-521-
5050.