The Birth of a Nation (2016)
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A biographical drama explores the life of Nat Turner, an enslaved man who led a violent rebellion against slaveholders in 1831 Virginia.
The story
In 1809, on a plantation in Southampton County, Virginia, a young slave boy named Nat Turner witnesses his father's capture by a slave-catcher. Despite being assigned to manual labor, Nat is secretly taught to read the Bible by the plantation owner's wife. As an adult, Nat becomes a preacher for fellow slaves while toiling in the cotton fields. When the economic conditions in the South deteriorate and owners begin to mistreat their slaves, Nat begins to witness appalling injustices. Seeking to pacify the enslaved population, a plantation owner reluctantly agrees to let Nat preach on other farms, where Nat begins to witness the desperate plight of the enslaved.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1809, Nat Turner is a young slave boy in Virginia whose father is captured by a slave-catcher. After his father's departure, Nat is taught to read the Bible by the plantation owner's wife, Elizabeth. As an adult, Nat works in the cotton fields while preaching to other slaves. He eventually marries Cherry, a fellow slave. Due to poor crop prices, the plantation owner, Samuel Turner, agrees to let Nat preach on other plantations to pacify the slaves. However, Nat witnesses horrific mistreatment and is severely beaten after baptizing a white convict. Resolving to rebel, Nat organizes a clandestine meeting of trusted slaves. They launch an uprising, killing Samuel and the manager, and seizing control of several plantations. They are eventually ambushed by white men and retreat to the town of Jerusalem. After Nat kills the slave-catcher Cobb but finds the arsenal empty, the group is attacked by soldiers, resulting in the death of every slave except Nat. Realizing the retaliatory violence against innocent slaves, Nat surrenders himself. He is hanged, and the film ends with a transition to a boy who betrayed the group, now grown and fighting for the Union Army.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States; Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Nate Parker
- Writers
- Nate Parker · screenplay; Nate Parker · story; Jean McGianni Celestin · story
- Cast and characters
- Nate Parker · Nat Turner; Tony Espinosa · Young Nat Turner; Armie Hammer · Samuel Turner; Mark Boone Jr. · Rev. Walthall; Colman Domingo · Hark Turner; Aunjanue Ellis · Nancy Turner; Dwight Henry · Isaac Turner; Aja Naomi King · Cherry Turner; Esther Scott · Bridget Turner; Roger Guenveur Smith · Isaiah; Gabrielle Union · Esther; Penelope Ann Miller · Elizabeth Turner
- Genres
- historical drama; biographical drama
- Themes
- racism; white supremacy; religious justification; retaliatory violence; struggle for justice
- Tone and mood
- searing; brutal; grace and horror
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical drama; historical drama; based on actual events; slavery
- Source material / true-story basis
- The story of Nat Turner
- Content notes
- rape
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its directing, acting, soundtrack, and cinematography, though it was considered a financial disappointment. It received a 72% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 69/100 on Metacritic.
- Awards and nominations
- Audience Award · U.S. Dramatic Competition · win; Grand Jury Prize · U.S. Dramatic Competition · win
- Production trivia
- The film's title is a reference to the 1915 D. W. Griffith film The Birth of a Nation.; Nate Parker invested $100,000 of his own money to hire a production designer and pay for location scouting.; The film's title was chosen ironically but by design to challenge racism and white supremacy.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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