A Byrd's Eye View At Movies and TV: The Birth of A Nation Tells The Story of Nat Turner Brilliantly By Arthur Byrd

I remember sitting in a movie theater watching the movie 12 Years a Slave. I was overcome with emotions as I watched Solomon Northup played by Chiwetel Ejiofor go through his ordeal of being a free man who was drugged, kidnapped and sold into slavery.

While the 2016 The Birth of a Nation did not have as emotional effect on me as 12 Years a Slave did. The movie was well done with its strong acting, bold imagery and realistic violence.

The Birth of a Nation takes its name from the 1915 D.W Griffith movie called The Birth of a Nation. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation presented lots of racism towards African-Americans and promoted the violence and hateful tactics of the Ku Klux Klan.

The Birth of a Nation tells the story of Nat Turner, a slave who led a rebellion in 1831 that left almost 60 white Virginians dead. In retaliation, 200 blacks were killed by whites.

Many people go to the movies for entertainment and movies that have slavery as the main theme are definitely not entertainment.

The Birth of a Nation was not entertaining film but was a learning, eye-opening and heart tearing experience.

Nate Parker who starred as Nat Turner pulled triple duty on the movie as the co-writer, producer and director. He was very convincing as Turner as he goes from slave-preacher to revolutionist.

The movie begins with an African ceremony where a young Nat (Tony Espinoza) is recognized as having a certain foretold powers of wisdom, courage and vision because he has ”the holy marks” (3 mole in a straight line down his chest.)

Nat grew up on the Turner plantation where he plays hide and seek with the owner's son Sam as kids. He would steal books from a chair on the porch to teach himself to read.

In a strange twist of fate, Sam's mother Elizabeth played Penelope Ann Miller finds out that Nat can read. Instead of some sort of punishment, she starts to tutor him in reading the Bible.

Years later after living in the Turner's main house, Nat is sent to work in the cotton fields as he became a preacher for the Turner plantation slaves. Occasionally, he would go with Sam played by Armie Hammer to get supplies.

On one trip, Nat observes a slave auction involving a young woman. He persuades Sam to purchase the woman named Cherry played my Aja Naomi King for Sam’s sister on the plantation.

One of the endearing moments in the movie is watching Nat and Cherry fall in love.

Later, Nat is rented out for a price as a preacher to slaves at other plantations to encourage their loyalty to the plantation owners.

At one plantation, Nat sees a slave being force-fed by knocking out his teeth.

The Birth of a Nation shows some quick graphic shots of what slaves endured.

Parker did excellent job as a director and as an actor transforming Nat from a slave–preacher to a revolutionist.

From the whip lashing that Nat received by baptizing a white man to the gang rape of Cherry by slave hunters and the sad death of his grandmother, he is pushed to do something about the injustice inflicted on slaves. All of this, led to the rebellion.

In some historical biographical movies, a few directors have taken some creative liberties with a person’s story that may or not happened. We as an audience have to take Parker’s vision with one eye open and with both ears listening.

The Birth of a Nation is well done and acted with nods going to Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Junior and Jackie Earle Hurley.

The movie gives a realistic look at the aftermath of the rebellion with blacks being hung in trees with a haunting soundtrack.

The scene with Nat being hung has a Braveheart, the award winning movie by Mel Gibson about Scottish hero William Wallace, feeling to it but he says nothing.

The Birth of a Nation is type of movie that may not lift you but will make you want to take a stand and possibly do something if you see injustice.

Links Here is a link to a DGA (Directors Guild of America) Screening Interview with Nate Parker. This is very good as Nate explains the making of the The Birth of a Nation.