Direct, Not Polite

As usual, the defining characteristic of this featurette, as with trailers and clips, is its directness. There is an unflinching honesty or, perhaps more to the point, a lack of smoothed over, even glossed over, coarseness in the interactions between slaves and their owners. '12 Years a Slave' doesn't look like a standard Hollywood take on slavery.

This, of course, is to be credited to director Steve McQueen. I think people will respond.