Review of The Birth of a Nation (2016) by Spencer K — 23 Oct 2016

I am separating the art from its artist and will not be commenting on the controversy surrounding Nate Parker in this review. That being said, I thought this movie was very good but it wasn't as powerful or affecting as I was hoping.

It had the potential tone the next 12 Years A Slave in terms of raw power and emotion, and while it is quite emotional and. wry tragic it's not as heartbreaking as the latter film mentioned. Nate Parker has a very clear eye for what he wanted this film to be and he conveys the very important message he's preaching with some truly arresting and brutal imagery.

Nate Parker himself as Nat Turner gave a very commendable performance and pays proper homage to the real life subject. Not much is known of the actual person, but I believe Parker's performance justified him enough.

When the climax comes, it really comes and it hits you with the force of an axe. It's bloody, violent, but sets an incredibly uneven tone preceding some of the things that were aforementioned previously in the film.

I guess my main problem with the film is that it's tone is incredibly uneven but the stark imagery and the important message is just enough to warrant a recommendation. The Birth Of A Nation is a bold, audacious and an ambitious film, but I personally wanted it to affect me more than it did.