THE BIRTH OF A NATION is a Must See Powerful and Emotional Film - Sundance Review
The Birth of a Nation is one of the best and most powerfully bold films at Sundance this year. This is one of those movies that I can see being nominated for a ton of awards at the Oscars. The movie is based on a true story that I had never heard before, and it sure did leave a lasting impression.
Nate Parker wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film. This is an incredible feat, especially after you see what he actually accomplished with a budget of $10 million. It was stunning. When the movie was over the audience was swelling with emotion. There was a reverence in the theater that I haven't felt from a movie theater audience in a long time.
The film is based on the 1831 true story of Nate Parker, a slave who rose up and led a rebellion against their masters in Southampton County, Virginia. Parker learned to read at a young age and ended up becoming a preacher who traveled the country preaching to slaves to obey their masters. As he is doing this he sees the hardships of other slaves and the awful conditions that they are living in. This inspires him to form a small army to kill the people that oppress them.
The film also has a strong and talented supporting cast that includes Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Penelope Ann Miller, and Gabrielle Union. All of them give stellar performances, and this is easily Hammer's best performance in a film yet.
This is an extremely difficult film to watch as they don't hold back the brutality of slave life back then. This was a hard story to watch unfold, but it's a story that people need to know about, and it's a movie that needs to be seen! You will get your chance as Fox Searchlight picked it up for a record breaking 17.5 million dollars. That should prove to you how good and important this movie is.
This film is going to make waves when it's released. Everyone is going to be talking about it because of the impact that it will have on the people watching it.