Seven Must-See Movies of October

Image courtesy of 20th Century-Fox

The Birth of a Nation (October 7th)

Nat Turner (Nate Parker) is a literate slave and preacher who organizes and executes an uprising to bring slavery to an end.

Unlike the 1915 D.W. Griffith film Parker reclaims the name to present an ironic twist on the silent feature. The Birth of a Nation hopes to tread similar ground as Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave. Unlike director Steve McQueen, Parker directs, writes and stars as Nat Turner. The Nat Turner rebellion is a seminal moment in black history, and Parker’s film is receiving its fair share of praise. Awards talk, however, has cooled in light of both the film’s response to critics outside of film festivals and recent reexaminations of Parker’s past. In terms of the former, the critic screenings of film have criticized Birth as a vanity project. Parker himself has also been thrust in the spotlight over rape allegations made during his college years. Parker was acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence, but his unrepentant tone in interviews hasn’t left the best impression of him in people’s minds.

Regardless, The Birth of a Nation is receiving intense advertising, no doubt enhanced by how much 20th Century-Fox purchased for the film. Either way, this is one of the more interesting films to watch in terms of whether audiences can separate the film from the filmmaker.

Next: The Dressmaker