Description
Name: ___________________________
Prof. Ozuna
BLS 114: The African American Experience
Date: ___________________________
Informal Writing Assignment 1: 12 Years a Slave Film Review: 2-3 pages
Students will watch the film 12 Years a Slave and identify the character archetypes, the director’s purpose and
style, and the thematic elements present in the film. Read and include 2-3 academic sources in your
paper. These sources should focus on the plight of free Blacks during the antebellum period.
Plot Summary (1 paragraph)
! Remember that many readers of film reviews have not yet seen the film. While you want to provide some plot summary, keep this brief and avoid specific details that would spoil the viewing for others.
Description (2 paragraphs)
! While the plot summary will give the reader a general sense of what the film is about, also include a
more detailed description of your particular cinematic experience watching the film. This may include your personal impression of what the film looks, feels, and sounds like. In other words, what stands out in your mind when you think about this particular film?
Analysis (2-3 paragraphs)
! In order to explain your impression of the film, consider how well the film utilizes thematic content.
! Fully address the following questions:
o How is the theoretical framework of Makumbo and the making of the “necro”/”nigger”
conveyed in the film?
o What role does Christianity play in the lives of enslaved Blacks?
o Describe the role of women on the plantation.
o How does Solomon Northrop defy Makumbo and achieve freedom?
o How does Solomon Northrop personify Ankh Udja Seneb, the 7 principals meaning to heal and make whole: self-knowledge, self-mastery, illumination, resistance, health, wealth, and vitality?
Conclusion/Evaluation (1 paragraph)
! The closing of your film review should remind the reader of your general thoughts and impressions of the film. You may also implicitly or explicitly state whether or not you recommend the film. Make
sure to remind the reader of why the film is or is not worth seeing
Sample Solution