Plot
Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.
Release Year: 2016
Rating: 4.8/10 (2,146 voted)
Critic's Score: 76/100
Director: Nate Parker
Stars: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Junior
Storyline
Set against the antebellum South, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat's preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities - against himself and his fellow slaves - Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.
Writers: Jean McGianni Celestin, Nate Parker
Cast: Nate Parker -
Nat Turner
Armie Hammer -
Samuel Turner
Penelope Ann Miller -
Elizabeth Turner
Jackie Earle Haley -
Raymond Cobb
Mark Boone Junior -
Reverend Zalthall
(as Mark Boone Jr.)
Colman Domingo -
Hark
Aunjanue Ellis -
Nancy
Dwight Henry -
Isaac Turner
Aja Naomi King -
Cherry
Esther Scott -
Bridget
Roger Guenveur Smith -
Isaiah
Gabrielle Union -
Esther
Tony Espinosa -
Young Nat Turner
Jayson Warner Smith -
Earl Fowler
Jason Stuart -
Joseph Randall
Trivia:
Fox Searchlight Pictures bought the worldwide distribution rights for the film for $17.5 million, the biggest deal in the history of the Sundance Film Festival. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 4/10
Freshman Director Nate Parker creates a picture that is seemingly
inspired by Best Picture winners such as Braveheart, Schindlers List
and 12 Years of Slave, but produces a conventionally formulaic film
lacking aesthetic cohesion, pacing, and subtlety.
The Birth of a Nation (2016) isn't a remake or reboot of D.W.
Griffith's controversial and widely regarded groundbreaking
masterpiece, but is instead Nate Parker's seemingly ambitious
directorial debut-- a true story revenge tale about Nate Turner, an
African American slave, referred to as "Prophet" by his followers, who
led a Slave rebellion comprised of slaves and free blacks in Virginia
in 1831, approximately 33 years before the Congressional passage of the
13th amendment and abolishment of slavery in all States. After a series
of religious visions and certain atmospheric conditions, Nate Turner
believed he was tasked by God to begin an uprising, his goal was to
awaken the attitudes of whites to the reality of the inherent brutality
in slave-holding and to spread terror and alarm amongst whites-- the
rebellion did not discriminate by age or sex, until it was determined
that the rebellion had achieved sufficient numbers.
Turner certainly accomplished that, but one could say in vain. The
rebellion left around 60 dead white's- including many defenseless women
and children-- and resulted in the state executing 56 blacks suspected
of having been involved in the uprising. And unfortunately in the
hysteria of aroused fears and anger in the days after the revolt, white
militias and mobs killed an estimated 200 blacks, many of whom had
nothing to do with the rebellion.
The fear caused by Nat Turner's insurrection and the concerns raised in
the emancipation debates that followed resulted in politicians and
writers responding by defining slavery as a "positive good". Across
Virginia and other southern states, state legislators passed new laws
to control slaves and free blacks. They prohibited education of slaves
and free blacks, restricted the rights of assembly for free blacks,
withdrew their right to bear arms and voting, and required white
ministers to be present at all black worship services. So one could
definitely say the revolt was ultimately an utter failure.
The story about Nate Turner has been something of a passion project for
Freshman director Nate Parker, who-- for all intents and purposes-- had
full creative authority on this production as the writer, director,
producer and lead actor. In what is the most violent slave revolt in
U.S history it definitely is a story worth telling on screen, but one
better told accurately; and as far as violence is concerned Parker
delivers a solid account in its depiction. But Parker certainly cherry
picks his character development aspects and plays down Nate Turner's
religious zeal and tries to show the rebellion as a success and skips
showing us the post revolt brutality instead strangely delegating that
duty to the end credits.
The washed out aesthetic to the cinematography looks cheap, and is
accompanied by a soaring score that oftentimes is overbearing. Despite
the beautiful Georgia landscapes and a few great shots, Elliot Davis
mostly delivers conventional cinematography, instead of showing the
dramatic material in a visually arresting way, wasting great
opportunities to be a character in and of itself.
The dialogue is a bit cheesy and unconvincing. This includes a routine
sentimentalism that keeps the movie grounded in a series of
conventional beats. Turner's stump speech feels especially
heavy-handed.
The weakest aspect is the pacing. Unfortunately there's a
conventionality to the somewhat mediocre and predictable storytelling
that remains monotonous throughout. Parker plays it a bit too safe, and
wastes many opportunities to build narrative momentum.
Aside from Nate Turner the characters just feel a bit thin and
underdeveloped and to some extent unbelievable. Parker fails to sell us
on Turner's visions. The best aspect of this film is Nate Parker's
solid performance but the rest of the cast delivers unmemorable
performances with most filling stock roles.
All in all the delivery of the film seems a bit too heavy handed to
seriously be considered a great film. It's like The Patriot or The
Alamo more than Braveheart or Schindler's list in that sense. Nate
Parker takes a great story but fails to deliver a memorable picture by
using conventional storytelling methods in a bid to drive home an
agenda that'll launch a debate instead of delivering a masterpiece to
be remembered for decades. This film could have really been something
amazing had a better filmmaker (less afraid to take risks) taken the
reigns.
0