Mcqueen: A Film Analysis

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The horrific narration of the atrocities of slavery in the south is juxtaposed by the enticing scenic beauty of the southern landscape that McQueen aptly weaves through the film. The film is visually captivating and illustrates a tranquil and idyllic land, luring the audience into the illusion that the people who dwell there embody the same qualities. This perception is deliberately constructed to be an evanescent occurrence, which is soon after shattered through the explicit brutality of events like flogging. Elaborating on the already intolerable brutality executed upon the African American slaves by the white plantation owners, McQueen prolongs and lingers on the scenes of violence, making it a harrowing viewing experience. Consequently the serene beauty of the land, speckled though the scenes allows the audience to reflect on the reality of the …show more content…
This is evident in the scene where Northup was left hanging from a tree for an extended amount of time. During this scene the camera used varying focus to draw the viewers’ attention from Northup’s desperation and agonizing situation to his seemingly undisturbed environment. Each frame is held for a painfully long period of time with the purpose of unnerving the audience and forcing them to acknowledge the struggle Northup faced to preserve his life. Contrasting the brutality of the circumstance, in the background the cameras angle and focus on other slaves going about their day, children playing gleeful, and the gradual darkening of the sky. Subsequently the stark realisation that this is a normality hits the audience. Highlighted by the children playing in the background, breaking the long held silence with their laughter. The clever addition of this detail serves to create contrast of situations, forming irony that increases the dynamics of the
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