The Birth of a Nation has been a frontrunner for this year’s Best Picture since Sundance. At the winter festival, Nate Parker’s slave-uprising drama sold for record bucks, and took the entire festival by storm.
Here is the first official trailer:
And the synopsis:
Set against the antebellum South, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.
The only thing that could hurt The Birth of a Nation‘s chances come Oscar time is its similarity to Steve McQueen’s Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave. This, however, appears to have a much more proactive narrative thread than McQueen’s emotionally charged drama.
The Birth of a Nation hits theaters October 7.
