Lord_Chief_Rocka
Superstar
Meh Django was still CLEARLY the hero of the story
The Birth of a Nation (Official Thread)
- Thread starter BlackMajik
- Start date
We have more than enough movies that convey the Slave Experience. This movie was about the Slave that rose up and killed slave owners and their families.
What I'm saying is, in terms of how THAT was depicted, it was disappointing as fukk. Ideally, I would have been more impressed if the movie used some of the over the top action that we saw in Django and put a REAL dark edge on it. Yea, Django wasn't a true representation of Slavery, it wasn't supposed to be. But you see Django body more cacs in that film than you see Nat Turner in this film.
OG_StankBrefs
Da Spice...
shyt reminded me of how I felt afta watchin Rosewood. 
Can't eam begin imagine da kinda insane evil shyt our ancestors dealt wit....and survived.
Can't eam begin imagine da kinda insane evil shyt our ancestors dealt wit....and survived.
This film takes itself WAYYYYY more seriously than Django. That's clear from the onset and it never departs from that gravitas. They are entirely different movies in regards to theme and context. If your gripe with the movie is that it essentially doesn't devolve into the snuff/cartoon piece that is the 3rd act of Django - it's just not a movie for you.
New York first-night moviegoers shrug off The Birth of a Nation controversy
‘This is bigger than Nate Parker,’ says one fan of the film about Nat Turner’s 1831 slave revolt which has been overshadowed by its director, writer and star’s past
The Birth of a Nation: ‘The controversy surrounding it is irrelevant to me. I think the story is so important it needs to be told,’ said one moviegoer. Photograph: Jahi Chikwendiu/AP
Mazin Sidahmed in New York
Saturday 8 October 2016 14.24 EDTLast modified on Saturday 8 October 201615.12 EDT
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Tai Bosmond first read the story of Nat Turner when she was in college. Now in her 40s, she has waited 20 years for a film to be made about the 1831 slave rebellion.
Bosmond made sure to buy tickets to Friday’s opening night of The Birth of a Nation, the writer, director and star of which, Nate Parker, has become embroiled in a whirlwind of controversy.
“This is bigger than Nate Parker,” Bosmond said, in the lobby of the AMC 25 Theatre in Times Square, New York City. “It’s bigger than all of this. I’m not gonna lose sight of that.”
The Birth of a Nation debuted at Sundance earlier this year, to mostly positivereviews, and, after winning the grand jury prize, was bought for a record-breaking $17.5m by Fox Searchlight. However, the buildup to its release has been largely overshadowed by revelations regarding Parker’s past.
In 1999, Parker and a friend, Jean Celestin, who has a writing credit on The Birth of a Nation, were accused of rape while attending Penn State University. Parker was acquitted; Celestin was found guilty then acquitted on appeal.
The incident came to light again in August, when reports surfaced that the victim in the case had killed herself in 2012. The case quickly became the main theme of coverage surrounding the film. Calls for a boycott grew.
On opening night in New York, many moviegoers were moved by the weight of Nat Turner’s story.
“The controversy surrounding it is irrelevant to me. I think the story is so important it needs to be told,” said Kim Bush, attending with two friends. “I grew up in the south, I grew up in South Carolina, and in our classes, we weren’t taught the history of Nat Turner.”
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Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Virginia, in 1831, going from plantation to plantation to free slaves and recruit them. The rebellion was put down by white militia and Turner was hanged.
Some moviegoers said the story was now relevant, given current conversations around police brutality towards African American men. Many were also glad to see a film directed, written by and starring black man in predominantly white Hollywood, home of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy last year.
“I really wanted to see a film that portrayed us in a better light,” said Quinton Cameron, who had come with his girlfriend to see the film at the Regal Battery Park. “And it didn’t have the proverbial ‘white hero’ narrative. This film is really historic as far as storytelling goes.”
Bosmond, a high-school teacher, felt this story was important for people to know. “This is not 12 Years a Slave,” she said, referring to Steve McQueen’s 2014 Oscar winner. “This is a slave who rebelled all the way. This is the kind of stuff they kept from our kids, out of the libraries, out of the schools.”
In Los Angeles on Thursday, activists from the group Fvck Rape held a silent vigil at the opening of The Birth of a Nation. About 50 people attended.
“Nate Parker has the platform at this time to speak to his brothers on how to listen to us, respect our boundaries and rights as women and lead the conversation on consent,” the vigil’s organizer, Elyse Cizek, said in a statement.
“When this happens, when he is willing to listen before silencing us, and when he can join the dialogue on what can be done to advance the voices of women everywhere silenced by rape culture and toxic masculinity, I will be his greatest support.”
Parker has drawn criticism for his refusal to apologize for the Penn State incident in recent interviews with 60 Minutes and the Steve Harvey Show. Some critics have panned the film, the New Yorker saying “it wasn’t worth defending”. Box office returns are expected to be meager.
As he bought tickets, Andrew Davies said he understood the call for a boycott or backlash, but said many things in America were created by people who have questionable histories.
“If that’s the case, unfortunately, you would boycott everything that white people do,” Davies said. “People do bad stuff all the time. Unfortunately when it’s black folk, we get more of a spotlight on us.”
Isaiah Williams, who was going to see the film for the second time, said: “If you really want to get technical, Mount Rushmore was built by a Klu Klux Klan member. I don’t seem them talking about that.”
Some moviegoers expressed sadness that Turner’s story was now tied to Parker’s past.
“It’s just a very messed-up situation,” said Quinton Cameron. “I hate that from now on, Nat Turner and him are going to be linked because of that.”
New York first-night moviegoers shrug off The Birth of a Nation controversy
‘This is bigger than Nate Parker,’ says one fan of the film about Nat Turner’s 1831 slave revolt which has been overshadowed by its director, writer and star’s past
The Birth of a Nation: ‘The controversy surrounding it is irrelevant to me. I think the story is so important it needs to be told,’ said one moviegoer. Photograph: Jahi Chikwendiu/AP
Mazin Sidahmed in New York
Saturday 8 October 2016 14.24 EDTLast modified on Saturday 8 October 201615.12 EDT
Shares
18
Save for later
Tai Bosmond first read the story of Nat Turner when she was in college. Now in her 40s, she has waited 20 years for a film to be made about the 1831 slave rebellion.
Bosmond made sure to buy tickets to Friday’s opening night of The Birth of a Nation, the writer, director and star of which, Nate Parker, has become embroiled in a whirlwind of controversy.
“This is bigger than Nate Parker,” Bosmond said, in the lobby of the AMC 25 Theatre in Times Square, New York City. “It’s bigger than all of this. I’m not gonna lose sight of that.”
The Birth of a Nation debuted at Sundance earlier this year, to mostly positivereviews, and, after winning the grand jury prize, was bought for a record-breaking $17.5m by Fox Searchlight. However, the buildup to its release has been largely overshadowed by revelations regarding Parker’s past.
In 1999, Parker and a friend, Jean Celestin, who has a writing credit on The Birth of a Nation, were accused of rape while attending Penn State University. Parker was acquitted; Celestin was found guilty then acquitted on appeal.
The incident came to light again in August, when reports surfaced that the victim in the case had killed herself in 2012. The case quickly became the main theme of coverage surrounding the film. Calls for a boycott grew.
On opening night in New York, many moviegoers were moved by the weight of Nat Turner’s story.
“The controversy surrounding it is irrelevant to me. I think the story is so important it needs to be told,” said Kim Bush, attending with two friends. “I grew up in the south, I grew up in South Carolina, and in our classes, we weren’t taught the history of Nat Turner.”
Advertisement
Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Virginia, in 1831, going from plantation to plantation to free slaves and recruit them. The rebellion was put down by white militia and Turner was hanged.
Some moviegoers said the story was now relevant, given current conversations around police brutality towards African American men. Many were also glad to see a film directed, written by and starring black man in predominantly white Hollywood, home of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy last year.
“I really wanted to see a film that portrayed us in a better light,” said Quinton Cameron, who had come with his girlfriend to see the film at the Regal Battery Park. “And it didn’t have the proverbial ‘white hero’ narrative. This film is really historic as far as storytelling goes.”
Bosmond, a high-school teacher, felt this story was important for people to know. “This is not 12 Years a Slave,” she said, referring to Steve McQueen’s 2014 Oscar winner. “This is a slave who rebelled all the way. This is the kind of stuff they kept from our kids, out of the libraries, out of the schools.”
In Los Angeles on Thursday, activists from the group Fvck Rape held a silent vigil at the opening of The Birth of a Nation. About 50 people attended.
“Nate Parker has the platform at this time to speak to his brothers on how to listen to us, respect our boundaries and rights as women and lead the conversation on consent,” the vigil’s organizer, Elyse Cizek, said in a statement.
“When this happens, when he is willing to listen before silencing us, and when he can join the dialogue on what can be done to advance the voices of women everywhere silenced by rape culture and toxic masculinity, I will be his greatest support.”
Parker has drawn criticism for his refusal to apologize for the Penn State incident in recent interviews with 60 Minutes and the Steve Harvey Show. Some critics have panned the film, the New Yorker saying “it wasn’t worth defending”. Box office returns are expected to be meager.
As he bought tickets, Andrew Davies said he understood the call for a boycott or backlash, but said many things in America were created by people who have questionable histories.
“If that’s the case, unfortunately, you would boycott everything that white people do,” Davies said. “People do bad stuff all the time. Unfortunately when it’s black folk, we get more of a spotlight on us.”
Isaiah Williams, who was going to see the film for the second time, said: “If you really want to get technical, Mount Rushmore was built by a Klu Klux Klan member. I don’t seem them talking about that.”
Some moviegoers expressed sadness that Turner’s story was now tied to Parker’s past.
“It’s just a very messed-up situation,” said Quinton Cameron. “I hate that from now on, Nat Turner and him are going to be linked because of that.”
New York first-night moviegoers shrug off The Birth of a Nation controversy
My gripe with the movie is that it didn't depict the rebellion well. It didn't have to be on bullshyt like Django... but guess what??? It was based off of a TRUE STORY where white people died, and we hardly see any of that in detail in this film. Just face it, Nate Parker held BACK. 60 white slave holding people whether they were family members or slave owners were killed during this rebellion and there was only 1 brutal death shown in this movie during that period. (the beheading)
In the same light, the movie shows nikkas teeth getting knocked out and fed through a funnel, we see a women get that pumpkin head treatment, we see nikkas with their heads blown off, we see nikkas literally set on fire, we see kids and women hanging from trees... what kind of harsh imagery do we have in this film depicted from the other side? A beheading scene that we barely see. My gripe is that we were sold on this being a different kind of slave movie. Showing Nat Turner's plight and struggle, and how he was a hero for doing what he did. But the images that I'm left with from this film aren't from what Nat did or his revenge/rebellion... it's the same images that I've already seen on film time and time again.
This shyt was such a letdown. Dudes really just propping it up cause a black man made it, and that's fine. I'm not going to run on social media and shyt on this film. I'm just shocked people are just blindly putting this film on a pedestal. It was really like your typical slave movie to the core.
Another gripe I had (which I mentioned in a post earlier, but people ignored it) was how the movie didn't show us what Nat was doing to survive during the time after the rebellion til when he was captured. The time period was from Aug - Oct, and the movie just shows us what's probably a fake scenario where he's talking to his wife in the bushes in the field. That would have been more interesting and unique to his story than the same ol same ol that we got here.
The one thing that the story excelled at was showing how Christianity was used to control slaves during that time. I respected that aspect. But much of everything else, just fell flat for me, or just felt rushed. Highly disappointed in this man, smh.
Just got back from seeing it and it was dope. Gladly paid that money to support.
One question
One question
The little boy snitched right? Thats how the cacs got the jump on nat's crew at the plantation? and what was the meaning of them focusing on the lil boy again at the end when nat got hung?
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Rapmastermind
Superstar
2.6 Million Friday. Good number, it was only a 7 Million budget. Don't let the media spin it, it' doing great for it's heavy subject matter. But the controversy obviously hurt the numbers. I was thinking more 3-5 Million OD. 2.6 Friday would give it 7-10 OW so not bad at all.
Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
It only cost 7-10 million to make and the distribution rights sold for $17 mil, so as far as Nate and the producers are concerned, they already made their money.
As far as Fox is concerned, they'll recoup. Already the film is expected to do at least 8 mil, for now. You then have to include its entire domestic run AND its international run, which will add more money to the bottom line.
Again, this is an indie film, not a big budget film AND its a Nat Turner film, not the typical slave films we've seen throughout the years. I think it'll all work out when its all said and done.
Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
She was barely there, only about 2 minutes tops. She didn't have any lines (which was her idea and her choice).
She was Hark's wife and the woman that was raped by Sam Turner's guest at the Turner house
oh damn
OaklandCertified
Town Business
c00ns and bedwenches are trying to shyt on this great film.
This. I don't think folks realize how Oscar voters were dissing & talking down on "Selma" a couple years ago. If they weren't fukking with "Selma", NO WAY will they fukk with "The Birth of a Nation" regardless of this fake outrage controversy.
nikkas need take pride in the NAACP Image Awards if they want to see an award show for Black movies & TV shows.