The Birth of a Nation

I find myself in a quandary trying to describe and rate this film. It is a truly brutal and nearly impossible film to watch. The utter brutality and violence in it rival most horror films. What is most horrible, of course, is that it's real. This happened - perhaps not this story or this way, but the atrocities of slavery surely did. Nate Parker gave a stirring performance as Nat Turner, which, given he also wrote, produced, and directed this film, is quite an accomplishment. However, I would venture to say he stretched himself too thin. Parker's script rang hollow in many places and fell to derivative repetition time and time again. His direction, while outstanding in certain small moments, felt common and conventional through most of the film. I feel the film could have benefited greatly from a lighter touch, deeper characters, and more even storytelling. It was an great movie that could have been transcendent in the way "12 Years a Slave" was, and for that I feel a bit of sorrow. Nonetheless, it is a truly good film, albeit flawed. 4/5

The Birth of a Nation on Netflix