Review of The Birth of a Nation (2016) by Junelkean — 25 Jan 2018

In "The Birth of a Nation," Nate Parker plays the real-life figure Nat Turner, an enslaved African American who led the deadliest uprising of slaves and free blacks in Virginia, before the Civil war. It's an ambitious directorial debut of Parker, and here, he showcases his skills in storytelling to remake one of the most disturbing events in American history.

Turner is a preacher who was driven to lead a rebellion, after witnessing a long series of atrocities. Parker effectively plays his character, together with some all-out performers: Armie Hammer, Penelope Anne Miller and Jackie Earle Haley, to name a few. There's also a lot of potential in store, especially after the Oscar win of 2013's "12 Years a Slave" - talk about extreme brutality and great violence.

But what The Birth of a Nation gets wrong is its screenplay. Sure, there are some historical inaccuracies, but two big flaws it commits is it's written with hollow characters, and suffers from slow pacing. Much of the film is taken up with the troubles of slavery, which is used in the third act as a motivational factor of our central protagonist. The tonal shifting from dramatic to bloody also feels undercooked and abrupt.

VERDICT: Historically speaking, The Birth of a Nation is a powerfully-detailed film. But, from a filmmaking standpoint, it lacks nuance and connection.