Supremacy In Uncle Tom's Cabin

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In ’12 Years a Slave’ [2013] directed by Steve McQueen, a respected artist for his visual excellence (winner of Turner Prize), used mise-en-scene to portray the power of white supremacy. McQueen’s responsibility as a film maker is to not to be overly didactic, but to show his audience the truth. Meaning in the past has been lost on paper, in [1852] ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ reached a wider illiterate audience and achieved more black sympathizers through theatre. Like ‘Uncle Toms Cabin’, Mc Queens film must add value to history: to give us an understanding of what is real through the eyes of Solomon Northup.

White supremacy is multifaceted: there are slave masters that are more authoritarian (Edwin Epps), and others who are more paternalistic (Ford).
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Perhaps the idea is that although slavery can be benevolent, there are just pockets of hope in an era dominated by violent ownership. The question this raises is if Ford is really above …show more content…
In understanding the slave experience we can start to appreciate McQueen’s goal for the characterization of Solomon and our understanding as a 21st century audience. Mise-en-scene through lighting, acting, positioning, and props has created patterns throughout the film that act as post notes for comparing and contrasting to create understanding. Ultimately ‘12 Years a Slave’ has been the envelope for change: ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ opened possibility, and arguably, mise-en-scene took it – Chiwtel became the first black actor to receive an Academy Award for best film. The feat of this film is