The Birth of a Nation (B or 3/4 stars)
As I watched 'The Birth of a Nation' (produced, directed, co-written, & lead-acted by Nate Parker), I was conflicted about my experience. Why? Because I forced myself to separate art from real life; as it has been revealed that Nate Parker & his co-writer were involved in a messy rape case 17 yrs. ago in which the victim has since committed suicide. Parker maintains innocence (was acquitted), but also shows little regard or remorse for the family. Moving on. D.W. Griffith's 1915 silent film, The Birth of a Nation, remains one of the most controversial epics ever made. How so? Well, the film depicts African Americans in the Reconstruction era as less-than-human & shows the Ku Klux Klan as heroes. By using the same exact title, Nate Parker has illustrated an entirely opposite interpretation; establishing the contents of this production as a thematic rebuttal to the film made 100 yrs. ago.
'TBOAN' is a powerful Civil War drama revolving around an 1831 slave rebellion led by slave, Nat Turner. Set on cotton plantations in Virginia, we see early scenes that provide broad stroke snapshots of what it was like to be a slave ... miserable. The white owners are initially shown to be relatively decent people who care about the well-being of their slaves. As a boy, Nat is brought into the house by Mrs. Elizabeth (Penelope Ann Miller, of The Artist) to learn how to read & write (The Bible only). He even plays hide-&-seek with the plantation owner's son, Samuel. But time skips forward a decade, when Samuel (now played by Armie Hammer) is now the Master of the land & Nat has become a Baptist preacher (yet, still a slave on said land).
The relationship btwn. these 2 childhood friends is closer than that of most owners/slaves, but the divide is still clear. Nevertheless, Samuel allows Nat 'some' freedom, including marriage to 'Cherry' (beautiful Aja Naomi King), a girl who works on a nearby plantation. But Samuel has many issues: he's deep in debt, drinks too much, & lacks the backbone to stand up to more unsavory folk (including a vile Jackie Earle Haley) who don't approve of his lending Nat out to spread his gospel of subservience & peace. All of this leads to a brutal act of violence/"discipline" that Nat is forced to endure. And it is this act of violence that poisons Nat's relationship with Samuel, as well as resulting in the bloody rebellion that claimed 60 white men/women/children, & led to the deaths of over 200 blacks in retribution.
Though 'The Birth of a Nation' is filled with heavy-handed symbolism & laborious stretches, this film is also edgy, thoughtful & intermittently powerful. But again, as a moral dilemma, it’s difficult to separate the artist from the shameful real life rape case; there are even a few rapes in the story (Aja Naomi King & an unrecognizable Gabrielle Union)! 'TBOAN' offers a lesson about how the bible can be used to support virtually any position (condemning whites, condemning blacks). A key scene depicting this involves Nat & a white preacher trading verses that say differing things about slavery & servitude. This leads to the central question & action of the film: should slaves obey their masters (via Bible) or rise up against them (via Bible). For most of the film, Nat preaches obedience & restraint. But near the end, he is less tolerant & his message is one of violence. His faith has been "transformed".
Nate Parker deserves a lot of credit for what he has accomplished, here. This film is his baby. I loved a sequence he created involving "strange fruit" hanging from trees -- masterful stuff. He acts powerfully in it (though, a little too one-note in spots). My favorite portrayal was by Esther Scott as Nat's sage grandmother, Bridget. I just wish there was more depth in the characterizations. On the technical side of things, the film 'looks' okay. I've seen clearer, more distinct camerawork before. The production design/costumes felt accurate to the era. The make-up work is impressive; aging effects, the effects of physical abuse. Everything was fine. But I felt like I was watching a polished TV movie rather than some great cinematic achievement. This film simply lacks the directorial finesse, expert craftsmanship, & wrenching quality that a film like 12 Years a Slave offered just 3 short years ago.
So that's just the thing. Coming off of huge buzz at the Sundance Film Festival 8 months ago, this movie was sold for $17.5 million (an enormous # for a small budgeted film like this) to Fox Searchlight Studios. Arriving right off the #OscarsSoWhite controversy surrounding this year's ceremony, many felt that 'The Birth of a Nation' would be exactly the kind of African American movie about racism, faith, & injustice that would heal wounds & appeal to the Academy as a way to acknowledge diversity (producing, directing, writing, acting, etc.). That said, the presence of Nate Parker's rape case + the fact that the movie itself is merely 'good' and not 'great' makes me feel that it will struggle to leave large impressions with either audiences or the Academy. There are other excellent African American-based films this year to look forward to such as Moonlight, Loving, Fences, Hidden Figures, & Southside with You.
'TBOAN' is a powerful Civil War drama revolving around an 1831 slave rebellion led by slave, Nat Turner. Set on cotton plantations in Virginia, we see early scenes that provide broad stroke snapshots of what it was like to be a slave ... miserable. The white owners are initially shown to be relatively decent people who care about the well-being of their slaves. As a boy, Nat is brought into the house by Mrs. Elizabeth (Penelope Ann Miller, of The Artist) to learn how to read & write (The Bible only). He even plays hide-&-seek with the plantation owner's son, Samuel. But time skips forward a decade, when Samuel (now played by Armie Hammer) is now the Master of the land & Nat has become a Baptist preacher (yet, still a slave on said land).
The relationship btwn. these 2 childhood friends is closer than that of most owners/slaves, but the divide is still clear. Nevertheless, Samuel allows Nat 'some' freedom, including marriage to 'Cherry' (beautiful Aja Naomi King), a girl who works on a nearby plantation. But Samuel has many issues: he's deep in debt, drinks too much, & lacks the backbone to stand up to more unsavory folk (including a vile Jackie Earle Haley) who don't approve of his lending Nat out to spread his gospel of subservience & peace. All of this leads to a brutal act of violence/"discipline" that Nat is forced to endure. And it is this act of violence that poisons Nat's relationship with Samuel, as well as resulting in the bloody rebellion that claimed 60 white men/women/children, & led to the deaths of over 200 blacks in retribution.
Though 'The Birth of a Nation' is filled with heavy-handed symbolism & laborious stretches, this film is also edgy, thoughtful & intermittently powerful. But again, as a moral dilemma, it’s difficult to separate the artist from the shameful real life rape case; there are even a few rapes in the story (Aja Naomi King & an unrecognizable Gabrielle Union)! 'TBOAN' offers a lesson about how the bible can be used to support virtually any position (condemning whites, condemning blacks). A key scene depicting this involves Nat & a white preacher trading verses that say differing things about slavery & servitude. This leads to the central question & action of the film: should slaves obey their masters (via Bible) or rise up against them (via Bible). For most of the film, Nat preaches obedience & restraint. But near the end, he is less tolerant & his message is one of violence. His faith has been "transformed".
Nate Parker deserves a lot of credit for what he has accomplished, here. This film is his baby. I loved a sequence he created involving "strange fruit" hanging from trees -- masterful stuff. He acts powerfully in it (though, a little too one-note in spots). My favorite portrayal was by Esther Scott as Nat's sage grandmother, Bridget. I just wish there was more depth in the characterizations. On the technical side of things, the film 'looks' okay. I've seen clearer, more distinct camerawork before. The production design/costumes felt accurate to the era. The make-up work is impressive; aging effects, the effects of physical abuse. Everything was fine. But I felt like I was watching a polished TV movie rather than some great cinematic achievement. This film simply lacks the directorial finesse, expert craftsmanship, & wrenching quality that a film like 12 Years a Slave offered just 3 short years ago.
So that's just the thing. Coming off of huge buzz at the Sundance Film Festival 8 months ago, this movie was sold for $17.5 million (an enormous # for a small budgeted film like this) to Fox Searchlight Studios. Arriving right off the #OscarsSoWhite controversy surrounding this year's ceremony, many felt that 'The Birth of a Nation' would be exactly the kind of African American movie about racism, faith, & injustice that would heal wounds & appeal to the Academy as a way to acknowledge diversity (producing, directing, writing, acting, etc.). That said, the presence of Nate Parker's rape case + the fact that the movie itself is merely 'good' and not 'great' makes me feel that it will struggle to leave large impressions with either audiences or the Academy. There are other excellent African American-based films this year to look forward to such as Moonlight, Loving, Fences, Hidden Figures, & Southside with You.