Good film, but the direction/editing kept it from being great for me

I finally saw this film after wanting to for so long, and sad to say, I was disappointed with it. Although I understood (I think) the creative reasons for some of the things I'm about to mention, I simply didn't like them and they distracted from my enjoyment of the film. I've never seen director Steve McQueen's other films before, so maybe it's just his style I have a problem with?

The more minor of my two complaints is how the film shifts between past and present prior to Solomon's kidnapping. I've seen a lot of movies structure their narratives in a similar way; sometimes it's clever and effective, and sometimes it's confusing and off-putting. In this film, I hated it. BUT...maybe that's exactly the point: to have the audience's viewing experience reflect the disorienting nature of the sudden, drastic change in Solomon's life? Still, it could have been executed better.

My major issue is how certain scenes seem "frozen" and go on for many seconds (or minutes) longer than they should. This technique by the director really "took me out" of the viewing experience every time it was used. Again, I realize it's most likely an artistic device used by the director to underscore tension and drama, but it's used to excess here. The opening shot of the movie has the slaves just standing there for what seems like an eternity before the overseer even speaks! For a while, I thought my DVR had malfunctioned. Am I looking at a movie or a painting?! Horrible way to start a film.

While I acknowledge that the most effective use of the frozen scene was Solomon remaining in the noose after the attempted hanging, even that went on about 50% too long. I totally understand how the prolongation is meant to underscore the horror, sadness, and sheer absurdity of a man literally slowly dying while everyone goes about their business as if they don't see or hear him. But the longer it goes on, the less emotional impact it carries (at least for me). It ceases to be about the emotion and drama contained within a film, and becomes about a director who is either careless, or full of himself, or both. A great director knows about pacing, and about how to withhold the audience's gratification just long enough for a scene to be dramatically tense, but not so long as for it to become tedious viewing.

So, I enjoyed the film, but if awkward, dragging scenes are a hallmark of McQueen's, then his films are not for me.