1. "RE: The Birth of a Nation (Parker, 2016)" In response to Reply # 0
Went to the see the movie today and it was amazing and beautifully directed. It's very Prophetic for the current time that we live in and very thought provoking. I give it 4.75 of 5 Stars. It's a must see movie for anyone that wants to learn about the History that is Nat Turner, the struggle to be free from oppression, marginalization, injustice, inequality, and bondage. .
8. "RE: for me it's the current attitude towards what happened in the past" In response to Reply # 5
>He's just come off as a huge asshole. And I'm pretty good >about separating work from life but sheesh.
ah..Ive yet to really read or watch about him believe it or not so I cant call it but I trust you
what I have read about the incident was always just from an overview of what the controversy was but nothing from him besides his apologetic feelings etc
13. "those saying this is a bad movie are full of shit and have agendas" In response to Reply # 0
I really enjoyed this film and it is a strong, yet imperfect, directorial debut from Parker. It may not be the Nat Turner movie for everyone, but it has passion, a good narrative, and connects. It's too bad the external baggage is going to drag this film.
17. "saw it today... it was good...." In response to Reply # 0
.... i agree that it's an important movie that people should come out and see....i didn't think it's a movie i'd ever really wanna see again, but i feel that way about most movies set in that time period....
i wondered about the truthfullness of the story (his master vs other masters) (the one crazy white dude always causing problems) (sweet old white woman), but i've learned not to really trust biopics.... the whole thing just makes me want to learn more about Turner....
....interestingly, i found myself thinking about Denmark Vessey the whole time too
"yes, sometimes my rhymes are sexist, but you lovely bitches and hos should know i'm tryin to correct it"- hiphopopotamus
what brings it down to a solid B: third act was abbreviated. Also everyone seem to give performances at both extremes...either emoting greatly or very stoic. not much was in between
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Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Tue Oct-11-16 09:47 PM
20. "I'll echo the "good not great" sentiment in here." In response to Reply # 0
You can tell dude is (was?) going to be a hell of a filmmaker, but this one is definitely sloppy, with some major pacing issues.
That having been said, he's a terrific actor, much of the supporting cast is strong (shout out to my man Colman Domingo, who is great in *everything*), and there is some strong imagery sprinkled throughout. It's worth seeing.
21. "We are pretty much on the same page" In response to Reply # 0
Good not great. Happy I saw it and that I saw it in Brooklyn with a bunch of Black folk reacting to the film in real time. One of my favorite moments was when a slave did something to fight back (I can't remember the exact action) and someone in the back of the theater did a light little clap on their own. Someone sitting in front of me said "Nah you right" and started a scattered applause throughout the audience. There were things I really liked about the movie. The love between Nat and his wife. That felt real to me. The reverence for the ancestors and the strength of the grandmother. All praise is due for keeping it together all those years. There were things that bothered me like the camera work during the Black angel scenes and the rushed beginning.
Like I said, good not great. Nice for his first time out as a director.
22. "I *do* care about the Nate Parker allegations" In response to Reply # 0 Fri Oct-14-16 01:22 AM by will_5198
and went into this with a more critical eye as a result, but the intensity of the best parts won me over. the loss of humanity for both slave-owner and slave is really well done -- without bondage, you can imagine Nat and Samuel becoming equal friends as men. instead, one turned into a torturer and the other forced into murder. I wish there was more about the loss of faith in God, as Christianity 's role on both sides of slavery is fascinating to me, but it was sort of skimmed over.
there are also first-feature flaws, mostly from an editing standpoint, although none too detrimental to the overall theme. the Braveheart ending with the cheap angel wings was kind of distracting, however.
I hate biopics in general, but Nat Turner is a person I never heard about in any public school course. this is an important movie that needs to be seen.
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