The Story Behind Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation

By Allie Dagg

Arts Reporter

The Birth of a Nation is a 2016 American period drama based on the story of Nat Turner, the enslaved man who led the most bloody slave revolt in American history. The film is co-written, co-produced, and directed by Nate Parker in his directorial debut and stars Parker as Turner, with Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Penelope Ann Miller, and Gabrielle Union in supporting roles.

In the movie, Turner starts out as a young boy who is taught to read so he can learn the Bible. Turner’s master then takes him on a preaching tour across the country to profit from his sermons. While Turner is on this tour, he examines the magnitude of slavery and chooses to change the way he conducts himself as a leader.

The controversy in this film is twofold. Parker chose to give the movie the same title as D.W. Griffiths’ 1915 white supremacist propaganda film. Griffiths film tells the story of a slave rebellion in which the Ku Klux Klan are shown as the heroes that end the rebellion and protect their country. Parker interestingly brought to surface the controversy of that film by juxtaposing that storyline with that of one with harsh substance and reality.

The second dose of controversy this film offered was trouble offscreen. This film brought to light rape allegations Parker and co-writer Celestin faced back in 1999, for which they were later acquitted. Parker’s co-star and rape victim, Gabrielle Union, wrote in the L.A. Times, “As important and ground-breaking as this film is, I cannot take these allegations lightly. On that night, 17-odd years ago, did Nate have his date’s consent? It’s very possible he thought he did. Yet by his own admission he did not have verbal affirmation; and even if she never said ‘no,’ silence certainly does not equal ‘yes.’ Although it’s often difficult to read and understand body language, the fact that some individuals interpret the absence of a ‘no’ as a ‘yes’ is problematic at least, criminal at worst.”

The film averaged a 7.2/10 on Rotten Tomatoes with many reviews praising Parker for his acting and daring script. Other reviews were not as impressed with the acting, from many of the main characters were unenthused by the plot.

Overall, The Birth of the Nation caught the attention from audiences around the country, and without a doubt, struck a chord with viewers everywhere.