The Birth of a Nation has been getting rave reviews from all the film festivals it has been shown at and is being tipped by some industry experts for gold come the start of next year when Hollywood goes all crazy with award shows. And the first official trailer which has been released by Fox Searchlight only seems to back up those claims that this film is one to look out for.
Writer/producer/director/star Nate Parker has done a fantastic job in putting together this period piece about slavery and the African American fight against oppression, almost all on his own and on a tight budget. In fact, the story of its making is a compelling enough topic for a film on its own. Birth of a Nation hits a lot of the big topics of that period’s struggle and with racial sentiment in the US a big debate at the moment, I have no doubt audiences are going to relate strongly with its message.
Now these types of films have typically not always done well in the past when it comes to the North American box office, but I have a feeling this one might change that trend – we will see how the US responds to it when it releases there on October 7.
The film was bought by Fox Searchlight for a figure of $17.5m, so they certainly have faith in the film and what Parker has crafted here. Alongside Parker, the film also stars Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Esther Scott, Roger Geunveur Smith, Gabrielle Union, Penelope Ann Miller and Jackie Earle Haley.
The official synopsis for the film is below:
Set against the antebellum South, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.
Expect it out in South Africa around the usual award season window.
Last Updated: June 24, 2016
