The Birth of a Nation - Revolt for Freedom

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Movie
German title The Birth of a Nation - Revolt for Freedom
Original title The Birth of a Nation
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2016
length 120 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
JMK 14
Rod
Director Nate Parker
script Nate Parker,
Jean McGianni Celestin
production Jason Michael Berman ,
Aaron L. Gilbert ,
Preston L. Holmes ,
Nate Parker,
Kevin Turen
music Henry Jackman
camera Elliot Davis
cut Steven Rosenblum
occupation

The Birth of a Nation (Original title: The Birth of a Nation ) is an American historical film by Nate Parker , which premiered on January 25, 2016 at the Sundance Film Festival and on October 7, 2016 in the US Cinemas was released. The film drama tells the story of the American slave leader Nat Turner (1800–1831). Director Nate Parker himself took on the role of protagonist and developed the script together with Haitian writer Jean McGianni Celestin. The film was released in German cinemas on April 13, 2017.

action

The African American Nat Turner grew up in Virginia at the beginning of the 19th century , where he grew up together with the plantation owner's white son, Samuel Turner, who later became the plantation owner. In contrast to other plantations, Nat is taught to read. However, Samuel's mother, Elizabeth Turner, only allows him to read one book: the Bible. He begins to explore these and to preach from them. This privilege sets him apart from most other slaves . He is foretold one day to be a prophet, and Nat becomes the preacher of his fellow slaves.

When Nat is older, he marries the slave girl Cherry. Because Nat is an intelligent and passionate Christian and a convincing preacher, the plantation owner wants to benefit from his arts. He is supposed to preach the gospel to slaves all over the country, so that they thereby give up all thought of rebellion and accept their lot as the will of God. When Nat is sent to various places as an itinerant preacher , for which Samuel Turner is paid, he sees how badly many slaves are treated: a little girl is led around on a leash and a man's teeth are knocked out with a chisel. Nat begins to recognize the extent of slavery and does not want to be abused further in the role of preacher. He decides to be a different kind of leader in the future, frees his wife from a slave market and instigates an uprising among enslaved blacks . A bloody and extremely violent battle begins, in which many whites, but even more blacks, are killed.

Illustration of the capture of Nat Turner by Benjamin Phipps on October 30, 1831

Historical background

The character of the protagonist of the film Nat Turner is based on a real person. Nat Turner was an American slave born in October 1800, who received Bible lessons from his owner's children, and taught himself to read. As a Methodist lay preacher, he later gathered the slaves of the area around him. From 1830 Turner was owned by Joseph Travis, who said he treated him kindly. In February 1831, Turner saw an apparent solar eclipse as a sign from God to undertake a liberation. On August 21, he and seven other slaves killed their owners. Turner had started with his own master, whom he killed with a hatchet in his bedroom. The group led by Turner was joined by over 70 other African Americans. Armed with knives, axes and hoes, the men marched from settlement to settlement in order to target and kill their oppressors. 55 whites were killed in this slave revolt. After 36 hours, the uprising was put down by an overwhelming force of the military. Turner fled and hid in the woods for six weeks. After Turner was captured on October 30, 1831, he was executed on November 11, 1831 for his actions. At that time, four million blacks were still working as slaves on the plantations of the southern states. Only after the end of the civil war in 1865 was slavery finally abolished. In addition to the interrogation protocol after his arrest, the only authentic testimony from Turner is a 5,000-word document that appeared in Baltimore in 1831 under the title The Confessions of Nat Turner .

production

Pre-production and financing

Nate Parker (2014)

In 2014, Parker announced that he was working on a film about Nat Turner, who became a hero to many African Americans, and that he would name the film The Birth of a Nation , an ironic reference to the notorious racist film Die Birth of a Nation (original title The Birth of a Nation ) is said to be from 1915, which is still considered the most successful silent film of all time and introduced various cinematic innovations, making it a key work in film history by film historians. The film clearly propagated racist content and, through its glorification, apparently contributed significantly to the re-establishment of the racist secret society Ku Klux Klan . In addition, according to Parker, the film shaped the film industry as we know it today. It was time to make a film that looked at slavery from the point of view of resistance and self-determination. Also in the book The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron , the author of the 1968 Pulitzer Prize was awarded, Parker sees his protagonists and slavery generally misrepresented.

The director, like the protagonist of the film, comes from Virginia. The film is Parker's directorial debut. Parker said of the historic black leader of the slave rebellion: Long before I became an artist, Nat Turner was my hero. Knowing about his exploits gave me the courage to pursue my artistic goals. I think it's only fitting to finally bring your life to the canvas. Parker said he had started work on the film a few years before he knew the book or movie 12 Years a Slave .

In total, Parker had worked on the film and the development of the script for seven years, and after several failed loan negotiations, took over most of the initial financing of the film and invested a total of 100,000 US dollars of his own money, which was exactly the production cost of the film The Birth of a Nation at the time from 1915 corresponded. According to Parker, many potential donors were unsure whether anyone would be interested in the subject. Parker even had to hear that people were basically not interested in films with black protagonists. Ultimately, Parker was able to find eleven different groups of investors who funded 60 percent of the $ 10 million production budget. The remaining financing was taken over by producer Aaron L. Gilbert.

Cast and dubbing

Nate Parker , the film's producer, director and screenwriter, took on the role of protagonist Nat Turner himself. Parker, who himself was nominated several times for the Image Award and the Black Reel Award , cast the roles of blacks in the film predominantly with actors who had also received several film awards explicitly aimed at people of African American origin. So were Gabrielle Union and Aja Naomi King , later in the film Ned Turner's wife plays April 2015 their roles. Aunjanue Ellis , Dwight Henry , Roger Guenveur Smith , Tony Espinosa and Griffin Freeman later joined the crew. Colman Domingo , who took over the role of Hark Turner in the film, was previously known primarily as a stage actor and received several awards for this.

In the white roles, Armie Hammer as Samuel Turner, Penelope Ann Miller as his mother Elizabeth Turner, Mark Boone Junior as Reverend Walthall and Jackie Earle Haley as the brutal Raymond Cobb can be seen.

In April 2015, a casting call was launched for the search for supporting and extras roles . Ultimately, the list of actors included more than 70 people.

The German synchronization was based on a dialogue book and the dialogue direction by Christoph Cierpka on behalf of RC Production Kunze & Wunder GmbH & Co. KG in Berlin .

actor Voice actor role
Nate Parker Daniel Fehlow Nat Turner
Armie Hammer Sascha Rotermund Samuel Turner
Penelope Ann Miller Cathlen Gawlich Elizabeth Taylor
Jackie Earle Haley Jürgen Heinrich Raymond Cobb
Mark Boone Junior Guntbert Warns Reverend Walthall
Colman Domingo Falilou Seck Hark
Aunjanue Ellis Sanam Afrashteh Nancy
Dwight Henry Robert Glatzeder Isaac Turner
Aja Naomi King Cynthia Micas Cherry
Esther Scott Regina Lemnitz Bridget
Roger Guenveur Smith Wolf Frass Isaiah
Danny Vinson Bodo Wolf Benjamin Turner
Katie Garfield Marleen Lohse Catherine Turner
Jayson Warner Smith Ingo Hülsmann Earl Fowler
Dominic Bogart Dejan Bućin Hank Fowler
Kai Norris Finn Posthumus Jasper
Justin M. Smith Torsten Münchow Jethro
Jason Stuart Rainer Gerlach Joseph Randall
Chiké Okonkwo Ralf David Want

Filming and Marketing

The shooting took place on 27 days in May 2015 in Savannah , Georgia, including in River Street there. The film was partly shot on a plantation in which slaves really used to work. For many of the actors involved, according to their own statements, this was very emotional.

For the fight scenes featured in the film, Parker had received some tips from Ed Zwick , the director of Last Samurai . Parker stated, “ He taught me the importance of smoke in the foreground. One of the tricks he taught me: He said, 'You have to get a lot of ground cork for that.' Have one of your assistants or someone else behind the camera throw a handful when a shot goes off. According to Zwick, this will bring dynamism to the picture. In order to bring the fake blood into the fight scenes, Parker says he procured ketchup bottles, which his assistants used to inject this into the picture during the shooting. Not showing blood, Parker said, is what is often done wrong in many fight scenes.

The Grammy-nominated song Rise Up in long trailer is from Andra Day

On April 15, 2016, Fox Searchlight released the first official short trailer for the film, which was accompanied by a cover version of the song Strange Fruit by Nina Simone.

In May 2016, Fox Searchlight released a first movie poster. This is represented by four red rows of people, alternating a row with whites and a row with African-Americans, and the film title in a blue rectangle, a simplified US American flag. This graphic was published in connection with a video of an animated film poster that starting with the figure of Nate Turner who is in the middle of a row of African Americans, zooming out of the picture and finally showing the full poster.

On June 21, 2016, Fox Searchlight released its first official long trailer. This 2:37 minute trailer shows the obedient serf's transformation into the leader of a rebellion. The first half of the trailer describes the harsh reality in the life of the slaves at the time. In the end, the slaves take up arms and stand in the way of a white militia. At the center of the summary of the events is the address by Turner, in which he tells other slaves that he has received a message from God. In the English original language he says: a vision of what's to come - The rise of good against evil. From this point on, the trailer is accompanied by the sounds of the Grammy-nominated song Rise Up by Andra Day , which is an emotional hymn that musically echoes Turner's inspiring sermon.

Film music

The score was composed by Henry Jackman . Overall, the film music is described as unusually diverse, and it draws on several musical traditions and references.

In the first trailer, which was released in April 2016 the song was Strange Fruit (Engl. Strange Fruit ) to hear, which is also at the very end of the film, the emotional climax played. The piece of music became known worldwide after the appearance of the Afro-American singer Billie Holiday in 1939 at the Café Society in New York and relates to lynchings in the southern United States. The jazz song is considered an early expression of the US civil rights movement. In the film, the song can be heard in a cover version by Nina Simone , whose version has a slightly slower rhythm and is accompanied by several different instruments than the original. According to Nina Simone, the song deals very directly with the problems between blacks and whites in the USA. Emily Lackey from bustle.com says about this song selection: It's not just any song. It's an incredibly moving melody, one that seems perfectly written for 'The Birth of a Nation'. Critics consider Jackman's work on the score to be Oscar-worthy. In December 2016, the soundtrack was included in the list of candidates (longlist) at the Academy Awards 2017 in the category Best Film Music , from which the members of the Academy determine the official nominations.

Premiere and financial success

Nate Parker and parts of the film crew and cast at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival

The film premiered on January 25, 2016 at the Sundance Film Festival . After the Oscar nominations were announced in January and a discussion about the lack of cultural diversity, especially with regard to black actors and directors in Hollywood, flared up because for the second time in a row not a single black actor was nominated, The Birth of a Nation stood in the focus of the event and met with the particular interest of the US film industry. Some representatives of major distributors were present at the premiere. This was followed by a bidding battle, as a result of which Fox Searchlight secured the worldwide rights to the film for a bid of US $ 17.5 million, which was the largest contract in the history of the Sundance Film Festival. The director Spike Lee said that from a film industry point of view, this record sum was primarily due to the financially strong online distributors, which have recently been operating on the film market, trying to outbid each other and thus not only the rules of the game, but also the definition of independent Film would have changed.

Publication and exploitation

In September 2016 the film was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival . The film was released in US cinemas on October 7, 2016. In October 2016 the film will be shown for the first time in Germany as part of the Hof International Film Festival and will be presented for the first time in Japan on November 2, 2016 at the Tokyo International Film Festival . The film was released in German cinemas on April 13, 2017. On February 1, 2020, the film was included in the Netflix program.

reception

Age rating

In Germany the film is FSK 16 . The statement of release states: “The fact-based drama tells of a black slave in the United States in the first half of the 19th century who started an uprising in the face of the injustice and brutality of slavery. [...] The scenes of the actual uprising contain numerous depictions of violence, some of which are drastic [...] 16-year-olds are able to put these scenes into context and process them, whereby the historical setting makes it easier for them to distance themselves. This age group can also understand and question the desire for revenge as a motive for action, without this aspect developing a socio-ethically disorienting effect. "

Reviews

Not only because of the enthusiasm of the Sundance audience, but also in view of the current mood in Hollywood and possible support from 20th Century Fox , the film and its director were already shortly after its premiere, but also before its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival Acted by many critics as a great Oscar contender in 2016 .

Variety's Ramin Setoodeh also brought up Parker as an actor: "Even if there are still 13 months to the next Academy Awards, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which Parker isn't a contender for Best Actor."

Armie Hammer presented not only The Birth of a Nation , but also the film Nocturnal Animals at the 2016 London Film Festival

His fellow editor Justin Chang describes the specifics of the film's dramaturgy and predicts: “The fiercest discussions will center on the foreseeable cathartic climax of the film, in which the great strength lies in how Parker tells his story and in which he suddenly turns his film towards of a brutal and bloody war film in which moral gray tones are replaced by a threatening red. "

Eric Kohn from IndieWire finds the bloody and extremely violent last scene of the film, and especially the slow-motion settings built into it, a little exaggerated and the title rather cheesy, but the director always has full control over his material. In the end credits, the viewer learns that Turner's body was later torn to pieces in an attempt to reduce his legacy. The combination with a final montage, in which the historical events fade into the present, confirms the justification of the film in the eyes of Kohn.

Chris Nashawaty comments on the cast: "Parker's performance as a gymnast is undeniably expressive, as is that of Hammer and his colleague Aja Naomi King as a slave who later becomes his wife or Jackie Earle Haley as a sadistic thug."

Dominic Patten compares Parker's film with Schindler's List and a handful of other well-told films that address genocide.

Brian Tallerico confirms, “Parker holds nothing back and refused to present slavery as just a backdrop or setting, as is the norm in Hollywood. [...] Parker has recognized that the horror that led to the uprising cannot be muted if it is to be expressed. "

Gross profit

The film's worldwide revenues are currently around $ 16.8 million.

Awards

Directors Guild of America Awards 2017

Hollywood Music In Media Awards 2016

NAACP Image Awards 2017

  • Nomination for best film
  • Nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (film)
  • Nomination for Best Independent Film
  • Nomination for Best Actor (Nate Parker)
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actress ( Aja Naomi King )
  • Nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture - (Film) (Nate Parker)

Satellite Awards 2016

Sundance Film Festival 2016

Young Artist Awards 2017

  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film in the Teen Actor category ( Kai Norris )

CinemaCon 2016

  • In March 2016 it was announced that Parker would be recognized as Breakthrough Director of the Year by the National Association of Theater Owners at CinemaCon in April 2016 for his work on film .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of Release for The Birth of a Nation - Revolt for Freedom . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 163958 / K). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ Age designation for The Birth of a Nation - Uprising for Freedom . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ↑ Regina: Jean McGianni Celestin. In: serendipitylit.com. Retrieved March 23, 2016 .
  4. ↑ a b c Monika Koepcke: - rampage of the slaves. In: deutschlandfunk.de. Deutschlandfunk, November 11, 2006, accessed on March 23, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Stephen B. Oates: The fires of jubilee: Nat Turner's fierce rebellion . Harper & Row, New York 1975, ISBN 0-06-091670-2 .
  6. ↑ a b Everything like Massa . In: Der Spiegel . No. 49 , 1967 ( online ).
  7. ↑ Emma Brown: Nate Parker's Future Past. In: interviewmagazine.com. Interview Magazine, April 21, 2014, accessed March 23, 2016 .
  8. ↑ a b Chris Nashawaty: Sundance 2016: 'The Birth of a Nation' lights a match in Park City. In: ew.com. Entertainment Weekly's EW.com, January 25, 2016, accessed March 23, 2016 .
  9. ↑ a b Cem Topçu: First pictures from the Sundance premiere The Birth of A Nation - Blogbusters - More film enjoyment. In: blogbusters.ch. Blogbusters, accessed March 23, 2016 .
  10. ↑ a b c Soheil Rezayazdi: Five Questions with The Birth of a Nation Director Nate Parker. In: filmmakermagazine.com. Filmmaker Magazine, accessed March 23, 2016 .
  11. ↑ Jen Yamato: Armie Hammer Joins Nate Parker's Nat Turner Biopic 'The Birth Of A Nation' In: deadline.com, November 12, 2014.
  12. ^ First Pics From Writer-Director Nate Parker's 'The Birth Of a Nation'. In: blackfilm.com. Retrieved March 23, 2016 .
  13. ↑ a b Ramin Setoodeh: 'The Birth of a Nation' Premieres at Sundance With Big standing ovation and Oscar buzz. In: variety.com. Variety, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  14. ^ A b How The Birth of a Nation Became Sundance's Biggest Sale Ever. In: wired.com. WIRED, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  15. ↑ Rebecca Ford: 'Birth of a Nation': The Slave-Revolt Movie That Will Have Sundance Talking. In: hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter, accessed March 23, 2016 .
  16. ^ Ells Erica: Open Casting Call in Savannah for "The Birth of a Nation" Starring Armie Hammer - Auditions Free. In: auditionsfree.com. Auditions Free, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  17. ^ Mary Carr Mayle: Savannah tops MovieMaker's annual list In: businessinsavannah.com, Jan 22, 2016.
  18. ^ Julie Walker: Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation Sells for Record Price at Sundance. (No longer available online.) In: theroot.com. The Root, archived from the original on March 21, 2016 ; accessed on March 23, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.theroot.com
  19. ↑ Steve Greene: Nate Parker's 10 Huge Lessons from Making 'The Birth of a Nation' In: indiewire.com, June 3, 2016.
  20. ↑ Erik Pedersen: 'The Birth Of A Nation': First Trailer For Nate Parker's Sundance Triumph In: deadline.com, April 15, 2016.
  21. ↑ Tambay Obenson: Check out the stirring Motion Poster for Nate Parker's 'Birth of a Nation' In: shadowandact.com, May 16, 2016.
  22. ↑ Mia Galuppo: Official Trailer for Nate Parker's 'The Birth of a Nation' Debuts In: The Hollywood Reporter, June 21, 2016.
  23. ↑ Annette Bögelsack: The Birth of a Nation - New emotional trailer for the slavery epic In: moviepilot.de, June 22, 2016.
  24. ↑ What's The Song In 'The Birth Of A Nation' Trailer? It Echoes Turner's Inspiring Preaching In: bustle.com, June 22, 2016.
  25. ^ Henry Jackman to Score Nate Parker's 'The Birth of a Nation'. In: filmmusicreporter.com. Retrieved March 23, 2016 .
  26. ↑ Todd McCarthy, 'The Birth of a Nation': Sundance Review In: The Hollywood Reporter, Jan. 25, 2016.
  27. ↑ a b Emily Lackey: The Song In 'The Birth Of A Nation' Trailer Is A Powerful Look At Our Nation's Past In: bustle.com, April 15, 2016.
  28. ↑ Scott Feinberg: Feinberg Forecast: The First Look at the 89th Oscar Race In: The Hollywood Reporter, September 9, 2016.
  29. ^ And the predicted nominees are In: awardscircuit.com. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  30. ↑ 145 Original Scores In 2016 Oscar Race In: oscars.org, December 13, 2016.
  31. ↑ '16 Sundance Film Festival - US Dramatic Films. In: sundance.org. Retrieved March 23, 2016 .
  32. ↑ a b Brent Lang, Ramin Setoodeh: Sundance: 'Birth of a Nation' Lands at Fox Searchlight in Record $ 17.5 Million Deal. In: variety.com. Variety, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  33. ^ "Black" fuel in the fire of criticism of "white" Oscars | Culture Info | SWR2. In: swr.de. swr.online, accessed on March 23, 2016 .
  34. ↑ Tim Walker: Nate Parker's 'Birth of a Nation' receives standing ovation at Toronto Film Festival In: independent.co.uk, September 10, 2016.
  35. ↑ Brian Truitt: Sundance hit 'Birth of a Nation' to open in October. In: usatoday.com. USA TODAY, accessed March 23, 2016 .
  36. ↑ Tokyo International Film Festival 2016 In: tiff-jp.net. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  37. ↑ https://www.chip.de/news/Neu-bei-Netflix-Das-sind-die-Neuzugaenge-im-Februar-2020_132851105.html
  38. ↑ Reasons for the release of The Birth of a Nation - Uprising for Freedom In: Voluntary Self-Control of the Film Industry. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  39. ↑ Brent Lang, Ramin Setoodeh: Can Sundance Help Solve Hollywood's Diversity Crisis? In: variety.com. Variety, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  40. ↑ Scott Feinberg: Feinberg Forecast: The First Look at the 89th Oscar Race In: The Hollywood Reporter, September 9, 2016.
  41. ↑ Justin Chang: Sundance Film Review: 'The Birth of a Nation'. In: variety.com. Variety, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  42. ↑ Eric Kohn: Sundance Review: The Brilliance of 'Birth of a Nation' Is Bigger Than the Movie. In: indiewire.com. Indiewire, accessed March 23, 2016 .
  43. ↑ Dominic Patten: 'Birth Of A Nation' Electrifies Sundance Crowd In World Premiere. In: deadline.com. Deadline, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  44. ^ Brian Tallerico: Sundance 2016: “The Birth of a Nation” | Sundance | Roger Ebert. In: rogerebert.com. Retrieved March 23, 2016 .
  45. ^ The Birth of a Nation In: boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  46. ↑ DGA Film Nominees Include Nate Parker, 'Deadpool's' Tim Miller, Barry Jenkins, Damien Chazelle In: The Hollywood Reporter, January 12, 2017.
  47. ↑ 2016 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations Announced In: filmmusicreporter.com, November 2, 2016.
  48. ↑ Ruth Kinane: Beyoncé leads the pack of 2017 NAACP Image Awards nominees In: Entertainment Weekly, December 13, 2016.
  49. ↑ Jazz Tangcay: Satellite Nominations Announced In: awardsdaily.com, November 29, 2016.
  50. ^ Sundance Film Festival: "The Birth of a Nation" wins. In: Spiegel Online. SPIEGEL ONLINE, accessed on March 23, 2016 .
  51. ↑ Dominic Patten, Patrick Hipes: 'Birth Of A Nation' Sweeps Sundance Grand Jury & Audience Awards. In: deadline.com. Deadline, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).
  52. ↑ 2017 Nominations In: youngartistawards.org. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  53. ↑ Brent Lang: CinemaCon: 'Birth of a Nation's' Nate Parker Named Breakthrough Director of the Year. In: variety.com. Variety, accessed March 23, 2016 (American English).