Identity, race, and racism in cinema: the representation of black people in 12 years a slave

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the representation of Black identity in the movie 12 Years a Slave, focusing on the implications of 18th and 19th-century racial theories on the condition of black individuals depicted in the work. The film, an adaptation of the autobiographical novel of the same name by Solomon Northup, tells the story of a free-born African-American man who was illegally trafficked into slavery in the mid-19th century American South. Through this narrative, we examine how racism operates to strip Northup of his identity and humanity, reducing him to a mere object owned by the slaveholders he was forced to serve. Methodologically, the study employs a bibliographic review and interpretative analysis of the film, supported by cultural studies and post-colonial theory, to understand the impact of racial theories on the (de)construction of Black identity within the historical and cultural context portrayed in the work. Theoretical contributions from scholars such as Almeida (2021), Schwarcz (1993), and Woodward (2014), among others, are utilized. The analysis concludes that 12 Years a Slave reflects how racial theories shaped narratives of racial inferiority about Black people, legitimizing physical and psychological violence through the discourse of racial supremacy.