“I now know that he has miserably failed in his mission”: released in 2016, this historic fresco was a disaster at the box office which almost cost his director to its director

Since the birth of a nation in 1915 by Dw Griffith, which gave the history of slavery a fallacious and racist reading intended to fuel propaganda in favor of segregationist policy, few Hollywood films that have testified to the reality of slavery in the United States.

If the Root series of 1977 remains one of the most famous evocations on the screen of slavery, it was however not free from defects, starting with the lack of rigor on certain facts or concerns of the details (which does not detract from its qualities, oneself by the way). But it had real educational virtues: before its broadcast on the small screen, many Americans still ignored the country's slavery past.

A first beneficial film in historical reach

Often presented as the heir to Spike Lee, the British Steve McQueen delivered in 2014 with 12 years Slavic a salutary and historic film. For at least two reasons. The first: it was the first Hollywood film dealing with the theme of slavery directed by a black director; even if it is not American.

The second: a point of view that dragged radically with past cinematographic productions. Here, the film marries the point of view of Solomon Northup, a free man reduced to the state of slave. An essential testimony written by the interested party in 1853. 101 Fugitives published a work on their slavery in the United States, but only Solomon Northup told its story of a free man, then that of his captivity, and that of his recovered freedom.

Crowned by three Oscars, including that of the best film, 12 years A Slave will also be a great success at the Box Office, with more than $ 187 million harvested, for a production budget of 20 million.

(Re) birth of a nation

It was on this a priori very favorable soil that the director Nate Parker wanted to make his contribution with Birth of A Nation, released two years after the McQueen film.

The film relates the story of Nat Turner, African-American slave born in 1800 and died hanged in 1831. The man had led a bloody and extremely violent revolt in August 1831. Turner was described at the time as a bloodthirsty criminal. He will be captured in his County of Southampton in Virginia, tried and sentenced to death. His revolutionary action unfortunately led the authorities to vote even more restrictive laws towards slaves.

Twentieth Century Fox

It was the first film directed by the actor Nate Parker, who had invested $ 100,000 of his own money in this project which was particularly close to his heart. The actor wanted to bring him to the screen since 2009, when he had started writing the script, which he fed by reading several carefully documented books.

The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion by Stephen B. Oates, professor of history at the University of Massachusetts; The Rebellious Slave: Nat Turner in American Memory of the history teacher Scot French; And The Southampton Insurrection Posted in 1900 by William Sidney Drewry; A rare work based on interviews with living witnesses.

“History is at hand if we take the trouble to be interested in it”

“History is at hand if we take the trouble to be interested in it. Nat Turner is often considered a” controversial “figure, but in my opinion is not more than many other American personalities. President Truman, for example, and many others, have made controversial decisions that have cost many human beings in the name of peace”explained the filmmaker.

The fact that his film has the same title as that of Dw Griffith obviously owes nothing to chance. Nate Parker wanted to use the same title in order to denounce the racist vision of Griffith's film, which notably passed the members of the Ku Klux Klan for heroes and blacks for bloodthirsty brutes.

Twentieth Century Fox

“Nat Turner has turned a leader despite incredible obstacles. In popular culture, slavery is often treated through stories of suffering and perseverance, but the story of Nat Turner is much more than that: he was a slave but also a rebel who rose against injustice. His story had to be told with sincerity, it is incredibly relevant and testifies to the aspiration for racial peace in this country.

For me, titling this film The Birth of A Nation was a way of reclaiming these words, repairing an injustice and transforming this title into a source of inspiration. He raises a question that we must ask ourselves if we want to succeed in overcoming this test together, as a nation: when injustice strikes our door, do we fight it with all our might? “ wondered Nate Parker.

A Box Office disaster

Halted with the prestigious Grand Prix awarded to the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Public Prize, Birth of A Nation could have followed the same trajectory as its elder released two years earlier.

It is actually the exact contrary that happened: a colossal failure at the box office, struggling to reach $ 16.7 million. And to say that the distributor Fox Searchlight had bought the film 17.5 million dollars – a record at the time – after the ultra enthusiastic returns from Sundance … Sacred cold shower.

What happened? Barely two months before its release in the United States, in the middle of August, the magazine Variety reported in its columns the suicide of a woman who had accused Nate Parker, 17 years earlier, of having raped her. Also accusations also brought against Jean McGianni Celestin, co-series of the film and friend of Nat Parker. If the latter was acquitted of all the charges in 2001, Celestin was found guilty of sexual assault and spent almost two years in prison.

Twentieth Century Fox

While the actor – director was in the midst of a promotional tour for the film, this information was absolutely devastating: the media no longer asked questions about the film, but on this case. To this was added calls to the boycott of the film, even in the sphere of African-American spectators, as reported This Guardian article Posted in early October 2016.

While recalling his innocence, Nat Parker had also said that he would not apologize for this case, and rather asked people to leave it all aside to focus more on his film. A very unhappy defense, which has served it a lot; His detractors not failing to highlight his coldness and his lack of compassion.

“The Birth of A Nation is a deeply problematic film”

Birth of a nation has not benefited from a more manualness on the part of historians specialized on the subject, such as the historian Leslie M. Alexander, professor in the Department of African-American and African Studies of the University of the State of Ohio, where she specializes in black culture and political conscience of the 19th century.

In a post published on October 6, 2016 about the film on The Nation siteshe engages in a fairly devastating analysis of the work. “From the representation of black women to that of slavery, Nate Parker's film is deeply defective and historically inaccurate” she writes at the start of her ticket.

Twentieth Century Fox

“After having attended a preview of the film, I now know that Parker has miserably failed in his mission. Unlike his promises of” historical fidelity “, Parker has created a deeply imperfect and historically inaccurate film that exploits and distorts the story of Nat Turner and the history of slavery in America. Almost everything in the film – Turner's relationships with his family, rebellion itself – is a pure invention “.

She completes her ticket as follows: “Is there something positive in this film? Yes. But the advantages do not prevail over the disadvantages. The Birth of A Nation is a deeply problematic film which gives a erroneous image of Turner and its rebellion, and which sends insidious messages on slavery and the multiple roles of black women in battle for freedom”.

“I was completely deaf to realities”

Nate Parker will not evoke this affair which almost cost him her career three years later, when her new film, American Skin, was presented at the Venice Mostra.

“The last three years have been an enriching experience for me. Reality is that three years ago, I was completely deaf to realities, certain economic conditions. Many people were injured by the way I reacted and the way I addressed things and I apologize to these people. It was a whole journey. I feel very lucky to be here, at the Festival of Venice He said during the press conference of his film.

And add: “I learned, I will continue to learn. I am now 39 years old and I hope that I still have a long way to go and that I can continue to acquire the wisdom of others, to be introspective as to my origins and what I experienced.”