There is a twofold irony to the title of the film "The Birth of a Nation." On the one hand, the film recalls the title of the D.W. Griffith silent film of the same name, based on the Thomas Dixon novel "The Clansman." On a deeper level, the title stresses the contradictions between the fledgling democracy of the new American republic and the abhorrent practice of slavery.
The film is successful in placing a human face on the story that is given a paragraph or two in most American history textbooks. In the film, we see unfolding the gruesome violence and daily humiliations of slaves in the Chesapeake in the early nineteenth century. The white slaveholders depicted in this film are some of the most repellent screen characters in recent memory.
Much credit must go to Nate Parker in his multiple capacities as writer, director, and actor. The location filming and, especially, the lighting design effectively recreated the historical period. The ensemble cast was also stellar.
Some viewers (and historians) might object to the film's one-dimensional religious motivation for the Turner revolt. Still, the film provided an unforgettable portrait of an important part of our history. This was a film that had to be made. And it would be difficult to improve upon Nate Parker's effort.
The film is successful in placing a human face on the story that is given a paragraph or two in most American history textbooks. In the film, we see unfolding the gruesome violence and daily humiliations of slaves in the Chesapeake in the early nineteenth century. The white slaveholders depicted in this film are some of the most repellent screen characters in recent memory.
Much credit must go to Nate Parker in his multiple capacities as writer, director, and actor. The location filming and, especially, the lighting design effectively recreated the historical period. The ensemble cast was also stellar.
Some viewers (and historians) might object to the film's one-dimensional religious motivation for the Turner revolt. Still, the film provided an unforgettable portrait of an important part of our history. This was a film that had to be made. And it would be difficult to improve upon Nate Parker's effort.