Hey folks! For my Odyssey page, I've decided to stick with a theme that I know and love and something that I am passionate about and that is movies. So, from here on out, I will be attempting to go to a movie a week, and reviewing it and generally sharing my thoughts about the film, as well as rating it.
First up, is "Birth of a Nation." This film was released yesterday on October 7th, and has been highly anticipated for the past year or so now. The movie revolves around the life of Nat Turner and his road to rebellion just before the Civil War era. Nat Turner's actual rebellion only lasted around 48 hours so the film focuses mainly on his life just before the rebellion and how those events caused him to want to rebel. The film was directed by Nate Parker and he also stars as the titular character, Nat Turner.
Going into the film, I had very high expectations based on reviews I had seen and the general buzz from the movie created at film festivals that it was screened at. The movie does quite a good job at establishing the back story of Nat Turner and the events that happened in his life that caused him to want to rebel rather than simply focusing on the violence that happened in his rebellion. This establishment of an emotional connection to the main character allows the viewer to sympathize with him and understand his rationale behind his thinking. The film also, in my mind, does an excellent job at illustrating the harsh realities that slaves went through on a day to day basis. The movie does not try to wow you with any spectacular fight scenes or anything of that matter, it instead relies on its story telling ability through dramatic sequences and realistic visuals. By the end of the film, I felt compelled enough to have stood and fought alongside Nat Turner. The only caveat that may turn some people away from the film is its slow pace, and lack of extensive dialogue. It relies more on the dramatic visuals to establish that emotion connection with the audience.
All in all, I thought this was a very solid film and I would recommend it to any one who is a fan of history or simply wants to indulge in an emotional film that paints a picture of one of the harshest times in our country.
Grade: B
Rating: 80/100
