The Rebirth of “Birth of a Nation”

In Nate Parker’s 2016 remake of the 1915 biopic, Birth of a Nation in which he wrote, directed, and starred, America’s dark past of slavery is brought to light in a powerful and emotionally stirring film.

Nat Turner, a 31 year old slave under the control of the Turner family, has spent his life in the presence of the harsh and degrading forms of abuse that African-American slaves faced in the South. At a young age, Turner was taught to read and write by his master’s wife, Elizabeth (Penelope Ann Miller), enacting his becoming of a preacher in his adulthood.

Turner and his master, Samuel (Armie Hammer) share a pivotal relationship in that Samuel is kind to Nat when it is fitting for him while inflicting torture upon the slave was a commonality. His ability to read and write was seen as nothing more than an opportunity for wealth by Samuel, as he began to make profit off of Turner using his faith to preach obedience to fellow slaves.

As he travels from plantation to plantation to preach God’s message, Turner is horrified by the inhumane occurrences that are witnessed from white men to their slaves, such as the agonizing chiseling of teeth in order to force-feed slaves who are on a hunger strike.

Turner’s only source of refuge in the harrowing times are God, his family and community, and his wife, Cherry (Aja Naomi King), who he rescued from the sale to a group of desirous white men.

Parker’s undeniable performance allows the audience to clue in on his inexplicit decision to preach a message of hope to slaves masked by words of conformity as the white masters look on.

With each sermon and act of violence against slaves, as well as a vicious attack on his wife, Turner’s anger for justice grows, prompting him and his fellow slaves to rebel in order to overthrow their white captors.

In addition to the thought-provoking script, the film’s magnificent use of cinematography and costume design increased emotion from the audience. While at times the graphic occurrences of torture that slaves endured could be seen as too detailed by a more sensitive crowd, the historical honesty of the film does not disappoint.