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Slave rebellion drama 'The Birth of a Nation' cuts deep and leaves a mark (A-)

The Birth of a Nation conveys its disinterest in pulling punches with its very title. In repurposing the name of D.W. Griffith's 1915 blockbuster ode to white supremacy, the new Birth trades the rise of the Ku Klux Klan for Nat Turner's bloody 1831 slave revolt. Writer-director Nate Parker backs up this bold provocation with a measured but devastating movie that haunts the imagination and conscience.

But Birth is also, in its own unblinking way, a deeply spiritual film that takes the malleability of spirituality as its primary theme.

Turner, born a Georgia slave, learns to read as a child. The only book he's permitted to peruse is the Bible, and soon the sermons of the Negro preacher gain a measure of local fame. As Turner becomes an adult, played by Parker, his master (Highland Park's Armie Hammer) realizes there's money to be made off a slave preacher who can spread the good word at other plantations - as long as the good word concerns docility and faithful service.

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The more Turner sees and feels the brunt of the Peculiar Institution, including a brutal whipping scene rife with crucifixion symbolism, the more inclined he becomes to absorb other Biblical themes. Wrath. Vengeance. Justice. You know. The stuff masters would prefer their slaves didn't think about, let alone practice.

The Birth of a Nation cuts deep and leaves a mark, but it seems almost immoral to paint a portrait of slavery that doesn't.

The Birth of a Nation is a remarkably assured directorial debut. Parker mixes abstract imagery, including an ear of corn shot through with blood, with scenes that increasingly spotlight the horrors of slavery as the story progresses. Turner's story arc is deeply disturbing but entirely believable. Among the film's most pertinent ideas: Humans can use religious texts to justify almost any form of behavior, from enslavement to rebellion, from kindness and mercy to abject cruelty.

Nate Parker (center) plays Nat Turner  in a "The Birth of a Nation."
Nate Parker (center) plays Nat Turner in a "The Birth of a Nation."(Jahi Chikwendiu / Fox Searchlight )

The revolt is swift and bloody when it arrives; Parker has no interest in softening Turner's actions or the murder meted out by his charges. The Birth of a Nation cuts deep and leaves a mark, but it seems almost immoral to paint a portrait of slavery that doesn't. In putting the audience firmly in Turner's corner, Birth makes us identify with the wielders of axes, knives and guns. The climax is a punch in the gut. But by the time it all goes down, we've seen enough atrocity to crystallize the motives for slave rebellion.

Parker's role in a rape case and trial, in which he was acquitted, has been well chronicled. You can be troubled by the behavior of the artist and still be moved by the art. Birth, along with such recent novels as The Underground Railroad and Homegoing and TV projects including Underground and the revamped Roots, brings the realities of slavery into sharp focus for a new generation. It might make you feel angry. It might make you feel sad. But there's little doubt it will make you feel.

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The Birth of Nation  (A-)

Directed by Nate Parker. Rated R (disturbing violent content and brief nudity). In wide release. 120 mins.