Few films arrive with as much controversy as Birth of a Nation. A promising run on the festival circuit (complete with a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival) gave way to scandal when disturbing details emerged about writer/director/star Nate Parker’s past. The movie is here now, but is it any good?
Birth of a Nation tells the true story of Nat Turner, a slave who learns to read at a young age and grows up into a preacher. Nat is paraded around to various plantations in an attempt to preach submission to his fellow slaves. But the more Nat is exposed to injustice, the harder it is to reconcile what he sees with Scripture. Eventually, Nat leads a violent uprising against white owners across the south.
Join Jon and Tim as they discuss the Nate Parker controversy, slavery, Nat Turner’s legacy, Black Lives Matter, Martin Luther King Jr., and whether violence is ever justified.
