Review of The Birth of a Nation (2016) by Matt F — 10 Oct 2016

"The Birth of a Nation" tells the true story of Nathaniel Turner, a slave who led a rebellion of fellow slaves against their white plantation owners. From the beginning, Turner is a docile field worker who is commissioned by fellow plantation owners to preach the gospel to slaves on other plantations to subdue them.

However, after reading scripture, Turner comes to realize that there is no justification for his or his fellow slaves' stations, and he is inspired to fight back. While the film has its powerful moments, I thought the whole sense of urgency was under-blown.

The script isn't developed enough for people to feel the sense of conviction and urgency that Turner felt. The director doesn't do an effective enough job setting the stakes, and what results feels less inspired than it should.

The message is still effective, but the script could have done more -------------------------------------------------------------------------- B.