Review of The Birth of a Nation (2016) by Karl B — 11 Oct 2016

The last thing I wanted to do on a Tuesday night after work was watch another slave movie. With all of the controversy around Nate Parker, who starred, wrote and directed the film, I had a very good reason not to see it. The bad reviews gave me even more justification to sit this one out. I'm glad I saw it anyway.

Birth of a Nation was not just another slave movie. This film was different because it conveyed what it must have felt like for slavery to feel normal. Nat Turner had a family. His "masters" treated him relatively well and even taught him how to read the Bible. Nat didn't realize the full extent of the atrocities of slavery until neighboring slave owners brought Nat in to preach to slaves who were "getting out of line".

Nate Parker's performance was brilliant. This was especially evident when Nat Turner realizes the hypocrisy of being a slave while using the Bible to condone slavery, by citing Peter 2:18, "Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.".

The film also highlighted the discomfort of growing up as a slave master. Nat Turner was a childhood friend of Samuel Turner, the man who grew up to "own" him. The story itself, and Armie Hammer's performance of Samuel, revealed the ethical struggle of sustaining a business in an environment where slavery is the norm. But at this same time, this struggle was depicted in a way to ensure the audience never actually sympathizes with Samuel Turner.

As a writer and director, Nate Parker masterfully demonstrates how slavery has influenced black culture today. A young boy wandering into a meeting about the rebellion is told, "Get out of here. This is grown folks' business." Most black children in America have heard this same line from their elders. A slave marriage ceremony consisted jumping over a broom, a tradition from Africa that is still common in America.

Nat Turner's story reveals that sometimes, we have to make bold, difficult and frightening choices to fight for equality. I understand the challenge of separating the artist from the art, so I don't blame anyone who chooses to sit this one out. But in our current political climate, Birth of a Nation reminds us of the consequences for all of us when we succumb to separatism and fear.