The Birth of a Nation
Director: Nate Parker
By Alex Watson
With all the recent controversy surrounding Nate Parker's past indiscretions, it is easy to forget what a tremendous piece of cinema The Birth of a Nation really is. Winner of the big prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, Parker shows in unflinching detail the brutality and ignorance of America's slave past. Nat Turner's slave rebellion was one which changed the tide, but refreshingly Parker doesn't seek to glorify his actions, but merely state what change was needed.
Groomed from a young age to be a preacher to his fellow slaves, Nat Turner (Nate Parker) is at first contented to spread the word of the lord. As he begins to tour other plantations with his master Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), his eyes begin to open to the harsh treatment bestowed upon other black slaves. Soon his inner restlessness will see him leading what will become a defining chapter of American history.
Equally beautiful and horrifying, The Birth of a Nation is a movie that refuses to hold itself back. Starting in flashback, Nat is a boy prophesized to be a great leader by a tribe and plays free with young Samuel and is treated lovingly by Elizabeth Turner (Penelope Ann Miller). This innocence is quickly shattered when his father is caught stealing by racist Raymond Cobb (Jackie Earle Haley). Having become useful picking cotton, Nat soon convinces Samuel to buy his future wife Cherry (Aja Naomi King) which saves her from probable sexual abuse from other owners. With his farm in despair, Samuel is given a way to gain money to save it when corrupt and racist Rev.Walthall (Mark Boone Junior) by getting Nat to preach to fellow slaves to remind them of their place. During these visits, he views the deplorable conditions many slaves find themselves. At first, he nervously preaches from his brothers to accept and obey their masters, but before long his speeches become fiery and vengeful.
Parker refuses to apologize for the anger and oppression he feels telling this tale and all throughout Nat sees the cruel treatment whites bestow upon him. Actions as simple as addressing a white lady lead to her husband beating him. Another sequence sees Cherry horrifically assaulted by Cobb and his cronies simply because they can. The imagery we see interspersed through this is very mind jarring, such potent images as a corn cob become seep with blood foreshadows the violence to come. The straw that breaks the camels back is when Nat is forced to endure seeing a slave being brutally force-fed by the master knocking his teeth out. Samuel is at first a benevolent and protective master, but as a man forced to keep up appearances his kindness only extends so far. Wrestling with his faith and wanting to understand the path God has laid out for him, his increasingly bad treatment by Samuel pushes him over the edge.
When Nat executes his wrath on his oppressors, we see some of the boldest filmmaking of 2016. The Birth of a Nation neither praises nor condemns Turner's actions as he descends into mass murder to free his people. There is an element of heavy-handedness to Parker's direction as we see him murder one member before a cross like stained glass window and another slave cut the head off his hated master. The waters are stirring in the lands of Southampton County, VA and Turner's actions spark off a sea of white hatred. One disturbing yet hypnotic sequence set to Nina Simone's 'Strange Fruit' sees slaves being mass killed. Historically the accuracy of this story will be long debated, as will its depiction of Turner as an almost Jesus-like figure during its climax. The sheer power of Parker's script gives a powerful voice to the ghosts of the slaves who have been consigned to the past.
Alongside writing and directing this piece, Nate Parker also proves to be a captivating leading man. A capable star in the movie Beyond The Lights, Parker gives his Nat Turner such presence that he fully owns every moment on-screen. Many will focus on the controversy surrounding his past rape allegations, but Parker still emerges as one of the most exciting triple threats to hit the screens this year. His passion in bringing this story to screen makes his audience feel every inch of pain, suffering, and levity that Turner experiences. Armie Hammer also matches his director and co-star in an impressive supporting role as Samuel Turner. Appearing to be a courteous and well-meaning master, Samuel, in the beginning, seems to be a man who fights for his own. As the movie progresses, Hammer makes his agenda perfectly clear and convincingly portrays a man whose hospitality comes at a price.
Brutal, honest and unflinching, The Birth of a Nation is a picture that will both delight and spark controversy in equal measure. However, you will not see a bolder picture in 2016.
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