Birth of a Nation (Nate Parker) Movie • Page 2

Now she just commented again without provocation:

"There is this article I want you to read, I am looking for it, but it gives a different perspective. The girl hung around the college athletes and was known to be down like that ( that does not make it ok ). She openly was doing four or five guys at a time and was not ashamed of what she did, then justifying it as rape. We all know what happens on College campus. When I went to College I knew to stay the fuck away from frat boys and athletes, because that is what they do. Now I also think about all the incidents in history when all a white woman had to do was yell rape and a whole city was burnt to the ground. Think of all the times when a woman falsely accused an innocent black man of rape and he was killed. Oh here's a thing, if you ever come across a very light skinned African American, most likely a woman in her lineage was raped by a white man. Nate had a relationship with the young woman at the college. They had slept together before. No one knows all the details about what when down. But let me find this article and I'll send it to you in a private message."

I feel like this will probably be a fruitless endeavor for me.

Edit: Oy. Okay, yeah. This is the link she sent me. Yikes.

Him: "You’re looking at it like a black girl..."

 

The scandal came along because he got notoriety and that typically involves dredging up aspects of the past. That being said, there is a racialized aspect to this, wherein black people are held accountable for their mistakes far longer than white folks. Robert Downey Jr., for example, isn't held accountable for the domestic violence charges he faced years ago. The point, however, isn't that we want to reproduce those standards, but that we need to make everyone accountable in the same way. But, we must remember that it is precisely because of the discrepancies within white supremacy of applying those standards that black people are skeptical of charges against black men and, to a lesser extent, black women. I would suggest, then, linking her to an article and bowing out of the conversation, because there are a number of black women who have spoken on this topic and the way in which they are called upon to defend black men from charges such as these, even when it is black women who are the victims. We saw the same thing with Bill Cosby; however, he was so thoroughly a monster that he was abandoned without much fanfare. What needs to be argued, though, particularly by black men, is there's systemic racism and the criminalizing of black bodies; however, that doesn't change the fact that, side by side with that, patriarchy structures the experiences of these black males and the message it disseminates is that they, too, own women and that women can consent when they're not conscious. In other words, systemic racism does not eliminate the experiences or ideological framework of patriarchly through which black men also pass through.

 

Thank you, Dom. Done and done.

 

So I bowed out of the conversation, but someone else chimed in with this link which seems like an awful lot of victim blaming?

Former Penn State Staff, Alumni Come Out in Support of Nate Parker

 

Interesting interview with Parker

Exclusive: Nate Parker on Campus Incident, Consent and Toxic Male Culture

 

'Birth of a Nation' actress Gabrielle Union: I cannot take Nate Parker rape allegations lightly

 

Birth Of A Nation Got A Standing Ovation at TIFF... Now What?

 

I can't imagine what kind of personal turmoil Gabrielle Union must be going through, as a survivor, having to attend all of these events with Parker and promote the film like nothing's wrong. At least she is finding ways to speak out however she can.

 

It's my understanding that there is a rape scene in the film, which furthers my concern especially for Gabrielle Union. I can't even imagine.

 

I believe Parker has said that he decided not to film that scene.

 

From what I've read, the rape happens off screen and the look on Gabrielle Union's face after the event is the depiction of it.

 

Nate Parker interview cut short following questions about rape case

My guess is, Fox Searchlight doesn't go dropping record amounts of money at Sundance without doing some vetting first next time. Remains to be seen if any other studios will learn from this as well.

 

I'm still mixed on seeing this.

 

This was really well said. Terrible what happened to her.

 

Nate Parker on College Rape Trial: ‘I’m Not Going to Apologize’ for Being ‘Proven Innocent’

Not sure what else there is to say about this story.

Movie comes out on Friday, I don't think I'm gonna see it.

 

A few critics I've seen have said it's unremarkable. Of course the quality of the film takes a backseat to Parker's violence, just noting that I've seen it from a couple critics whose voices I value.

 

Will never see this

 

The guy seems like a tool, but I will still probably see this eventually. I'm usually good at separating art from the artist.

I'm curious how many people who say they'll never see this dude's movie because he was accused of rape also still hold Tupac in high esteem even though he was on bail awaiting trial for rape when he was murdered. I've never heard anyone say "i'll never listen to Tupac because he's an alleged rapist".

 

Not directed at you, just how we tend to bury the bad shit that revered artists have done in their personal lives

Man Always Gets Little Rush Out Of Telling People John Lennon Beat Wife

 

Slant was pretty harsh on the film. Sundance hype seems to be never ending.

 

Rotten Tomatoes page: The Birth of a Nation

I wonder how many of the film's negative/middling reviews were specifically influenced by Parker and Celestin's history, either consciously or subconsciously. Before the story broke I had pegged this film to win basically every Oscar for which it would inevitably be nominated for. Now, I wonder if it will win any. Speaking purely on the issue of the film itself, it is a shame that the telling of such a powerful, important, timely story is being marred by Parker and Celestin's crime.

 

Having seen it tonight, it blows my mind that this got sold for so much, other than Fox Searchlight was riding high on the buzz. It has a "Free State of Jones" problem of taking a compelling true story and making it a complete mess. Nate Parker is totally miscast as Turner and his directing choices are either heavy-handed or make little sense. He thankfully has a good supporting cast, but other than that, if you were on the fence about seeing because of Parker's case, just skip it. You won't miss much and there's better movies featuring diverse casts coming that deserve your money.

 

Filmmaker’s Controversial Past Takes Its Toll On ‘Birth Of A Nation’ At The B.O.

 

I am worried that the lesson studios will mistakenly take from this is "don't take big chances on creatives of color/casts of color/films about violent poc" rather than "don't invest heavily in rapists".