As racial issues roil Hollywood, slave revolt film makes splash at SundanceBy Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff

01.31.16

Nate Parker (center) directs and stars in “The Birth of a Nation,” a movie that follows Nat Turner, an African-American slave who led a slavery rebellion in 1831. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures. BOTTOM: Cast members pose together at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 25, 2016, in Park City, Utah. Photo: Evan Agostini /Invision for Chase Sapphire Preferred/AP Images

PARK CITY, Utah — There’s good timing and great timing. Then there’s “The Birth of a Nation,” a new film about the Nat Turner slave rebellion of 1831 which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

In one of the most charged-up screenings in recent memory, the film by actor-director Nate Parker played to an overwhelmingly positive response Monday evening. By dawn Tuesday, the reaction reached new heights. Fox Searchlight won world rights to the film for an estimated $17.5 million, the highest in the festival’s history.

Race In Hollywood

Searchlight outmaneuvered a number of other players, including the Weinstein Co. and Netflix. Despite the latter's willingness to pay as much as $20 million, the filmmakers passed. With Searchlight's acquisition, Parker’s film will now get a major Oscar push and an expected fall release. 

The movie leads a group of Sundance entries featuring black characters — including Spike Lee’s “Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall” and Anna Farrell’s “The Fits.” It arrives in the heat of multiple discussions about race in America. Many people are upset that, for the second year in a row, there are no actors of color nominated for Oscars. They claim racism is the cause, and started Hollywood's"#OscarsSoWhite" movement.

“The Birth of a Nation,” an independent film, was made with little mainstream Hollywood investment. Still, the big festival response and eventual commercial push has the potential to change the debate and address its concerns.  

Seven Years Of Sweat

Parker wrote, produced and stars in the movie. He put seven years of sweat into the film, which is inspired by a true story. A small group of slaves, starting out with rudimentary weapons, eventually take on white slave owners and their families, killing about 60 of them.

Much of the film has a quiet, almost contemplative vibe. Nat Turner and his wife, Cherry (Aja Naomi King), endure an ever-so-slightly better life than their fellow slaves; he’s a preacher for the seemingly more understanding slave owner Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer).

As treatment of Nat deteriorates and revolution is stirred up, the movie takes on as harper edge. The film’s bloody conclusion could push buttons, filled, as it is, with a spirit of revenge. But the movie may also jolt viewers into debate. 

Hoping For Change

“I made this film for one reason: with the hope of creating change agents. There were systems in place that were corrupt and corrupted people … and the legacy of that still lives with us," Parker said after the screening. 

“Usually when we see films about slavery it paints the oppressor as a sociopath so people can check out and say, ‘That’s not like me,’” Parker said pointedly, referring to Hammer’s character. “The reality is there are people in their benevolence who thought they were doing good even though they were doing bad. And in 2016 I think that echoes.”

Parts of “The Birth of a Nation” may bring comparisons to “12 Years a Slave” and “Django Unchained,” yet Parker began working on this film long before either of those movies reached the screen. Where “Django Unchained” was set in the world of revenge fantasy, this aims for something far more dramatic and historical.

Going After An Oscar

The “12 Years a Slave” comparison is relevant in that Searchlight made that film with director Steve McQueen and unveiled it to great acclaim at the fall film festivals. Then the movie studio led the film to win the Oscar for best picture and $57 million in domestic box office. (The film took in nearly $190 million worldwide.)

Whether Searchlight can imitate the success of “12 Years a Slave” has suddenly become one of the season's big film questions. The subject matter, setting and huge festival reaction that “12 Years a Slave” and “The Birth of a Nation” share could mean big things for the film. Some distinctions are worth noting, however, including a lesser-known cast here and, given the Nat Turner story, a different tone.

“12 Years A Slave” ends with liberation. “The Birth of a Nation” culminates in insurrection. How that violent uprising resonates among both black and white audiences will be a cultural indicator as the movie rolls out.

Cheering Through The Credits

The indications at Sundance, at least, were reassuring. When John Cooper, the festival’s director, brought Parker onto the stage, the crowd rose to its feet to give the36-year-old a round of applause. The instant the film ended, moviegoers got out of their seats again to cheer through the credits until Parker returned on stage for a question and answer session.

Each audience member who asked a question seemed deeply moved, beginning with the first woman, who raised her hand to ask: “This film carries a lot of responsibility; how can we help you carry it?”

Searchlight’s entry almost certainly means that the current Oscar-season race conversation is less likely to happen next year. It isn't known how membership changes announced by the Motion Picture Academy will affect voting patterns. But with “The Birth of a Nation” likely receiving a lot of awards attention, the 2017 Oscars now has at least one strong contender to ensure it’s not so white.

Making This Movie Wasn't Easy

Parker had a solid acting career for years. He was last seen in 2014's “Beyond the Lights.” 

But he left acting behind to pursue “The Birth of a Nation.” The movie nearly fell apart before filming began. But Parker stayed with it, working to raise the money for the film, which cost between $8 million to $10 million.

Asked why he remained undeterred, Parker quoted George Lucas, in whose “Red Tails” he starred. “When everybody is telling you something can’t be done,” the director said, “that’s when you know you’re on the right track.”