This Oscar-winning 2013 film that tells the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man kidnapped from New York and sold into slavery in the antebellum South, stands out as a shocking indictment of the slave system's cruelty.
One harsh overseer, in a rare moment of reflection, states the message that every viewer must take away: "I say no man of conscience can take the lash to another human day in and day out without shredding at his own self." (Stolen Into Slavery tells Northup’s history for readers in grades 7–12, and Northup’s own memoir is also available.) Warning: Rated R for violence, cruelty, racist language, nudity, and brief sexuality. Directed by Steve McQueen.
