American Playhouse (TV Series) Solomon Northup's Odyssey (1984) User Reviews

One Of Park's Best Works

[tonyb-24 · 8/10 · 29 January 2007]

My conclusion to this drama is simple; quality performance. Avery Brooks' performance without question; was sensational, playing a man torn from freedom for twelve years. Rhetta Greene's performance was also remarkable; I thought she would go further in film skyrocketing into major stardom; but whatever happened to her? Is she doing theater? Is she still alive? The late Joe Seneca's performance was brilliant, playing the old and very wise slave. Over all, this is truly one of Gordon Parks' sensational masterpieces; bringing Northup's novel to film; but, I do believe that the story could have been developed into a ten part mini series; because, the story about this man being held captive for twelve years cannot be expressed in detail in just two hours.

A very entertaining film

[KMeister1 · 7/10 · 13 June 2005]

I had never heard of "Solomon Northup's Odyssey" so I didn't expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this film was. The story is about the title character, a free black man struggling to make a living in the state of New York during the late 1840's. He's kidnapped by two white men who sell him into slavery. Almost all of the movie focuses on his life as a slave and his strong determination never to accept that he's owned by another.

The performances are generally good all around. Avery Brooks, admittedly not one of my favorite actors due to his tendency to overact, occasionally does so, but not enough to spoil the film (but enough to just slightly lower how many stars I gave it overall). Another wise approach to the film is that the white characters are not all portrayed as stereotypical foaming at the mouth racists; some are good, some are bad, some are both.

You'll find yourself totally engrossed in the life of Solomon Northup, feeling his pain as he tries to maintain his dignity as a free man forced into slavery.

Solomon's Story

[Ms_Carter · 7/10 · 29 January 2024]

I should start by saying I didn't know anything about this movie I just happened to stumble across it while scrolling on a streaming service and I had already read the book Twelve Years A Slave and the movie adaptation 12 Years A Slave So I was already familiar with Solomon Northup's story I do like this although both movies retell Solomon's story 12 Years focused more on Solomon's story with one particularly cruel master Master Epps This retells more of the book as a whole The problem (for me) It was made for tv and heavily watered down and the scenes where he did suffer some abuse was equivalent to a child getting a spanking Also although they did include more from the book they changed how some of the events occurred The other problem for me They decided to add things to the story that simply weren't in the book In particular what was going on with Solomon's wife and children There was nothing in the book to indicate Solomon would have known anything that happened to them I have googled and searched about Solomon's story and theirs very little information about him or his family Other than what is in the book.

terribly terribly sad

[TanteWaileka · 10/10 · 26 August 2006]

I don't care what other commentators have said about Avery's acting. I thought he was excellent in the role. I live in the South now and everywhere there are historical signs of the evil of slavery (including "white only" signs engraved in stone frontispiece on older buildings). However, I've seen more obvious signs of racism in the Northern AND western states. For example, there are black people working for my company here in Columbus, but when I lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay area and later in Delaware... I never worked with any black people except a couple who were actually Africans working on visas. You see, the South has matured beyond their slavery roots... but the North and West states never have had to 'prove' their acceptance of black people as equals, unlike the South.

What drew me to this movie was the book written by Solomon Northrup in the 1850s... "My Twelve Years as a Slave". He was an articulate writer who described in great detail his experiences as a slave in the South. It was horrifying to read, but Mr. Northrup was eventually freed and reunited with his family in New York, fading to obscurity once more as he lived the remainder of his life surrounded by his loved ones and working as a carpenter. The real horror is not that 150 years ago a man was held as a slave for 12 years, but that TODAY in 2006 there is still ACTIVE SLAVERY going on all over the world INCLUDING the US of A. Several years ago I met a senior aide to the The Office to Ambassador John Miller who leads the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP). During a two-hour flight she told me one horrifying story after another about the ongoing worldwide slave trade. You'll have to search on the State Department title in this missive to find out more.

The world is a truly evil place. Each of must do what is necessary to combat evil everywhere we find it. Solomon Northrup's story is truly sad, but he was eventually freed and lived out his life FREE. There are young women and girls who never get that chance but who die in captivity after being treated worse than one would treat a farm animal destined for the butcher.

If you watch this movie and all you feel is 'entertained' by it, I pity you.

Outstanding, use with my 8th graded US History Class.

[JSpieth · 10/10 · 24 July 1999]

Have used film until warn out. Students get hooked on the film. Provides an excellent example of life of an American black slave and plantation life. Very strong story line.

Twelve Years A Slave

[boblipton · 9/10 · 24 November 2021]

This episode of PBS' American Playhouse stars Avery Brooks as Northrup, a freeborn Black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana. Avery, in his first appearance on the TV screen, is terrific; he takes his imposing stature and demeanor and tamps it down to offer a portrait of a man whose sense of outrage is in constant conflict with his desire to live. Director Gordon Parks' handling gives us fully rounded characters: good slave owners, thoughtless slave owners, wily slaves, and well-meaning but futile abolitionists. Hiro Narita's camerawork is muted by the poor quality of the surviving tape.

Northrup's memoirs were published in 1853. The book was a best seller, They were later turned into a big-screen version as TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE.

Awful movie

[unknownsilence · 13 December 2017]

This movie is utterly awful. Anybody that says this is accurate has obviously not read the book. This movie is pretty much a slave apologist movie. It is no where as brutal as what reality was for a slave. Many of the events and characters did not exist in the real book. I watched this in class, and it was a critical thinking exercise just because it was such a terrible movie. I warn people do not watch this movie, it's disgusting. Watch the new one if you want to see what Solomon Northups life was really like.