The Birth Of A Nation - movie review
The Birth Of A Nation
Plot: Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.
Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller
Director: Nate Parker
Rating: 15 (strong bloody violence, gory images)
Runtime: 2hrs
Release Date: Friday 9th December 2016
The Birth Of A Nation has undoubtedly had a very controversial rollercoaster of a build up. It premiered last January at the Sundance Festival in the midst of the 'Oscars So White' campaign so served as hope for the possibility of awards for the next season. It also received rapturous praise at the festival. Sadly, it all seemed to go downhill after that. Nate Parker, who is admittedly a rising talent, had some demons from his past surface that caused discomfort and worry for some. However, for a review, it's important to judge the film on itself rather than solely on the issues surrounding its star and director.
One of the most obvious things present in this film is the passion and desire Nate Parker has for this true tale as well as the horrifying subject matter. Despite his questionable past as a person, his acting in his own directorial debut is glorious. Whether he did what he was accused of, I don't know, but Parker is a powerhouse as Nat Turner, a slave who preaches the word of God and begins an uprising. The scenes that Parker excels most in are when he's giving these inspirational sermons, rallying his fellow troops to rebel or the quiet interactions he has with his family and wife. His ambition to tell Nat's story is clear as day and Parker could wind up getting an Oscar nomination for it. His anger building up gradually to then exploding in violence is brilliantly portrayed but whilst Parker's performance was near flawless, the depiction of Nat troubled me. Throughout the first and second act, Nat's role is a slave who preaches the word of God to fellow slaves to either inspire them to continue or forced to speak words that condemn them to submit themselves to their masters. Whilst the uprising hadn't come to fruition as of yet, Nat was always very intriguing to watch as we see his hatred build. However, by the time Nat cracks and begins his violent rebellion, it comes unexpectedly and so out of left field, it actually undermines his character. Obviously, the idea of him lashing out and breaking away from the horror he's forced to live in was very satisfying but because Nat has been speaking from the Bible and informing everyone of peace, for him to suddenly hack someone to pieces with a hatchet didn't gel with his character. I think that if there was a gradual progression to this outburst, it would have had the desired effect but the switch to the rebellion was incredibly rushed.
Armie Hammer stars alongside Parker as the master of the land Nate and his family work on. Similar to Benedict Cumberbatch in 12 Years A Slave, Hammer starts off by not being an entirely despicable human being. Clearly, he's still a slave owner so he isn't a nice person but he doesn't treat his slaves like complete shit and there is a slight rapport between him and Nat. For example, when attacked by a dog, Sam comes to Nat's aid rather than let him be torn to pieces. Hammer is very solid as this slave owner. He knows when to tone it down so we can understand the trials and tribulations the characters are going through and knows when to become a complete bastard and lash out. As far as the accent he uses, it's a little wobbly here and there but nothing too noticeable. The only other performance really delivering on all levels of magnitude was Jackie Earle Haley as a bounty hunter who chases down and kills either escaped slaves or just those out on their own doing their master's bidding. He's absolutely diabolical. I hate everything about him. Anytime he steps onto screen, you wish nothing but painful death to overcome him. In a list of this year's films, Haley's character is close at the top of the list of the evilest character. As a performance, Haley is shockingly terrifying. It's a great performance that makes you squirm and shudder that human beings behaved like that once, and in some cases, still do. Terrific performance but an entirely abhorrent person.
FACT: 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.
Pacing is a significant issue with The Birth Of A Nation. A film that lasts two hours needs to grab your attention and hold it for the whole runtime. Furthermore, a film with this story needs to demand your whole focus. Unfortunately, the dialogue lacks that much needed spark and comes across more generic and simple. A film regarding slavery needs that emotional pull and whilst it succeeds in displaying the brutality and savageness many humans faced, the emotion I felt was more due to the specific time and subject matter rather than to individual characters. There aren't any poor or weak lines per say but apart from the quotes from the Bible Nat speaks, the dialogue isn't as gripping as it wants or needs to be. What is very impressive however, was the direction and look of this film. For a first time, Parker has crafted a beautiful and visceral experience. Some of the shots swooping along the fields or imagery is very impressive and powerful. There is a tad too much metaphorical imagery that seems forced in an attempt to provide an artistic sensibility. As interesting as an ear of corn bleeding is, it doesn't serve the story efficiently. Similar to Nat's sudden turn, the introduction of violence was unexpected to say the least. It's at that point where The Birth Of A Nation goes from being a mildly compelling movie to a confused tale that rushes its conclusion. The final rebellion is executed in a brutal and shocking manner, and I'm sure that if the film had a more consistent tone, the extreme violence would have made sense. Alas, it's too jarring and goes against the religious tellings it was priding itself on before.
Clearly a passion project for Parker and that shows in his performance and directing style but the film struggles with pacing, inconsistencies regarding tone and characters developments. All in all, The Birth Of A Nation is a suitable film to tell this true story but the potential for it was far greater than the end result.
My Verdict: 5.5/10
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