The Birth of a Nation: Controversy Incarnate

     In 1915, director D.W. Griffith released the black and white silent film, "The Birth of a Nation." The film was praised upon its release, and would go on to become the highest grossing movie of its time. The film glorified the KKK, showing them as the white nights meant to save America. While the film was met with criticism from many, it didn't stop people from going to see it. Upon reflection, the film's subject matter is disgusting. On a technical level, it's nothing short of impressive; but you better have a strong stomach to watch it. The reason I bring it up is because another film titled "The Birth of a Nation" will be released soon; but this one's on the exact opposite end of the spectrum.

     2016's "The Birth of a Nation" is written, directed, and stars Nate Parker. The film chronicles the life of Nat Turner; a slave in the early 1800s that lead a short lived, but bloody rebellion. The film premiered at Sundance earlier this year to rave reviews. While many are excited to see what could be a great film, it hasn't stopped more than a few controversies from coming up. The first would be regarding the actual subject matter. Many have criticized Parker for looking at Turner through rose colored glasses. Many in the African American community view Turner as a hero who stood up against oppression, while many see him as a killer. No one cares that Turner and his group killed slave owners and their enforcers; the problem is they killed any white person they came upon, even children. By the end of it, 55-65 white people and upwards of 200 black people (many of which innocent but taken by mobs) were killed. Parker has been criticized for ignoring some of the more unsavory moments of the rebellion while painting Turner solely as a hero.

     But of the handful of controversies facing the film, the big one is aimed at the director. Seventeen years ago in college Parker was arrested for rape along with another man. Parker was found not guilty while the other was convicted. While this has been public knowledge, many are boycotting the film, saying that Parker is a rapist and should be arrested.

     Controversies about movies are nothing new, and “The Birth of a Nation” is no exception. Now I’m going to be frank, I don’t care. I don’t care about controversies, I don’t care about the people behind the movie, I just care about the film itself. “The Birth of a Nation” looks great and I’m excited to see it.  Most biopics aren’t entirely accurate and often show the hero as flawless. And I think it’s wrong to judge a man for a crime he was found innocent of (excluding O.J. Simpson). I honestly think a lot of people hate this movie because it’s a “black” movie made by a black man. Well they can hate all they want; it won’t stop me from seeing it. 

Image Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_a_Nation_(2016_film)#/media/File:The_Birth_of_a_Nation_(2016_film).png