The Birth of a Nation (2016)

Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.

Director:

Nate Parker

Writers:

Nate Parker (screenplay by), Nate Parker (story by)

Stars:

Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller

4 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nate Parker	...	Nat Turner
Armie Hammer	...	Samuel Turner
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Elizabeth Turner
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Raymond Cobb
Mark Boone Junior	...	Reverend Walthall (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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

preacher | torture | illiterate | southern | rebellion | 

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Taglines:

A Battle Against Slavery.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content, and some brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 2016 film, The Birth of a Nation (2016), uses the same title as "the title of D.W. Griffith's 1915 KKK propaganda film in a very purposeful way", said The Hollywood Reporter. Nate Parker said his film had the same title "ironically, but very much by design". He told the magazine Filmmaker, "Griffith's film [The Birth of a Nation (1915)] relied heavily on racist propaganda to evoke fear and desperation as a tool to solidify white supremacy as the lifeblood of American sustenance. Not only did this film motivate the massive resurgence of the terror group the Ku Klux Klan and the carnage exacted against people of African descent, it served as the foundation of the film industry we know today. I've reclaimed this title and re-purposed it as a tool to challenge racism and white supremacy in America, to inspire a riotous disposition toward any and all injustice in this country (and abroad) and to promote the kind of honest confrontation that will galvanize our society toward healing and sustained systemic change."

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Goofs

The accents used in the film are typical of the modern deep south, not of the Tidewater region of Virginia in the first half of the 19th century.

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Quotes

Title Card: Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever - Thomas Jefferson, 1785

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jay Leno/Gabrielle Union/Big Sean (2016)

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Soundtracks

Minuet
Performed by Michael Houston
Written by Luigi Boccherini

User Reviews

Birth of a Nation might not be perfect but it is a competent retelling about a catalytic moment in the black freedom struggle.

History favours the brave, but like any form of art, it is also about perception. Whether that perception is a result of inner expression or manipulated by external influences, what matters is the manner in which it is told. Bold, controversial and violent, The Birth of a Nation is a period drama that is as powerful as it is important. Most of all, this film functions as a cinematic memorial to one of the first freedom fighters that would eventually give rise to the American Civil Rights Movement.

His name was Nat Turner and although not shown in the film, he received the same fate as the fictionalized William Wallace (who was famously portrayed by Mel Gibson in Braveheart). Played by Nate Parker in his directorial debut, Nat is a slave with compassion for his fellow slaves. He is also in good standing with his master Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer) but the latter has problems of his own, including mounting debts and alcoholism. They were friends since childhood and Samuel's mother was the first to notice Nat's incredible ability to read (this was a time when literacy was considered a gift, and rare even for white landowners). With this 'ability' Nat is allowed to preach the Bible to other slaves with the intention of putting the fear of God into them. It works for some time, until Nat witnesses the ugly and often heinous atrocities of slavery. The inevitable happens when Nat perceives scripture as a double-edged sword – that which justifies slavery and that which justifies retribution.

Based on the actual 1831 salve rebellion in Virginia, and co-written by Parker, The Birth of a Nation is a slow burner during its first two acts. Visual artistry notwithstanding, Parker's nuance is the cogs and wheels turning in Nat's head. Did he snap or was he disillusioned by his own sermons? Although the result is an explosive finale that is both brutal and disturbing, the answer to that question lies in the way Nat is perceived. With collateral damage on both sides, history has all but condemned Nat Turner as a mass murderer, much like what English history says about Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace. But the director has us believe otherwise; that Nat was more like a hero whose actions influenced a far bloodier war 30 years later in the emancipation of slavery, and hence the title.

Yet at its core, this film is a penetrating enquiry into the ongoing struggles for justice and equality, the fine line between the use and abuse of authority, and also whether the history taught today is factual, or eroded, or sanitised. Whether Nat lost his faith or manipulated scripture to justify his rebellion is of little importance because The Birth of a Nation is competently made and told with grit. Like Steve McQueen's relentless 12 Years a Slave before, the theme on dehumanisation is rampant and doesn't let go even during its most harrowing moments. Even so, Parker's narrative may not be as flawless as McQueen's Academy Award winning masterpiece but it's still an effective undertaking for a debut director; And given the racial uproar behind the new Trump administration, perhaps even a well-timed film that takes a stab at a challenging dilemma – intention versus action.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Birth of a Nation

Filming Locations:

Savannah, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,004,254, 9 October 2016

Gross USA:

$15,861,566

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,779,212

Company Credits

Production Co:

BRON Studios, Creative Wealth Media Finance, Follow Through Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1