I really didn’t want 12 Years A Slave (2013, Steve McQueen) to be everything we’ve seen before from the black slave story. The premise of a free man being kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South, only to be freed again twelve years later intrigued me. I was pleased to see this genre potentially move away from the ruthless, visceral depictions of the brutal reality of slavery into an exploration of the political implications and struggles encountered between the Northern and Southern states over the subject. This is territory I hoped 12 Years A Slave would be moving into.
Sadly, it was not to be. As a massive fan of Steven McQueen (Hunger (2008) and Shame (2011)) I was saddened to slowly realise that this film would amount to barely more than two hours of human misery, with some added gore and predictable characters. It was almost tiresome to once again be presented with the same gruesome whipping scenes that anyone who has seen Roots (1977) witnessed over almost 40 years ago on our screens! I feel like slavery stories should have surpassed the 'shock value' segment of their depiction, and whilst it is undeniable that these atrocities need to be addressed on screen to put the issues of the story into context, one can’t help but feel that in 2014 they are a bit gratuitous.
This does not, however, take away from the beauty of the film. In a recent interview Steve McQueen was asked why he presents such horror under such a beautiful guise, to which he replied “that is life”. And it is true, the Louisiana landscape is breathtakingly gorgeous as it is, and when portrayed through the artistic lens of McQueen some scenes appear as though oil paint on canvas. McQueen does not let the charm of the setting linger for long however and constantly contrasts it with details of the casual brutality of the slave existence, such as a hung man struggling in the forefront of a shot as children frolic in the picturesque fields behind. The disparity is unnerving and serves to convey an underlying sense of discomfort throughout the film, cleverly allowing us to engage a mutual state of nervousness alongside the protagonists under the cruel whip of slave owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).
Aesthetically pleasing though it may be, it was not enough to distract me from the feeling that we have seen this all before and it is a tired strand of the otherwise largely unexplored territory of the stories of the 19th and 20th century slave trade.
So new year, new season, new parks for me to go and explore and rides to ride! 2014 is looking exciting for me already, with Madrid and France pencilled in for April, a massive Mid-West USA in June, Sweden in July with CoasterForce and Germany in October for my birthday trip. So as you can probably tell I’m super stoked for this year and already have a few things I’m excited to finally be doing! So here’s a bit of a break down of my most wanted for 2014.
Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City
Outlaw Run opened to rave reviews in the enthusiast world in 2013 at Missouri park Silver Dollar City. The coaster is a wood-metal hybrid including high speeds, drops and inversion. Oh, and all this is done with lap-bars. It makes my mouth water and friends who rode this beast in its opening year actually turned around and said it was the best rollercoaster in the world!
Project Helix at Liseberg
I’ve been on blue fire at Europa Park and despite most coaster enthusiasts raving about it I wasn’t convinced, so when Liseberg announced that they would be installing one of these coasters in their park for the 2014 season I wasn’t entirely fussed. However, following construction of this ride has heightened my anticipation to ride. The unique placement on the hillsides of Liseberg I think will add to the thrill of this ride in a way that blue fire just could not deliver and I’m looking forwards to seeing for myself if it lives up to the hype.
Alpina Blitz at Nigloland
Probably the most suprising coaster announcement for 2014, Nigloland, a small, mostly unheard of park in the French countryside announced that they alongside Liseberg would be purchasing a Mack MegaLite for their 2014 season. Initial reactions felt that this wouldn’t really amount to anything but following construction of this project has been exciting watching the coaster apparently go from strength to strength. I always enjoy seeing ‘underdog’ parks come out of nowhere and blow us away unexpectedly so I’m rooting for Nigloland and Alpina Blitz all the way.
Dollywood
Probably at the top of my ‘must do’ parks across the world, and I finally get to visit this year! I have always been a fan of rustic, Western-style themes and this is a park full of not only that but also a world class selection of rides and rollercoasters, including the new FireChaser Express, which in its animated promo video presented an interesting take on a layout and launch system over the hilly landscape of Dollywood. Not that it will, because it’s Dollywood, but I really hope this park doesn’t disappoint and lives up the expectations I’ve built up for the place over my years as an enthusiast.
Krake and the unknown B&M Wing Coaster at Heide Park
Firstly I’m looking forward to revisiting Heide Park finally as my fleeting visit in 2009 was rushed to the point of unenjoyment. Since then Heide Park have installed Krake, a B&M Dive Machine which I love the look of and are currently in the middle of constructing a B&M WingRider to rival The Swarm at Thorpe Park. I’ve only done The Swarm and Raptor at Gardaland so it will be good to expand my portfolio of these coasters as it were and experience one with a slightly different theme other than ‘post-apocalyptic attack’.
I love this time of year, planning trips and getting excited looking at what the year ahead has in store for me, and 2014 is clearly looking prosperous, I hope nothing disappoints!
Thanks for reading,