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victim, his longtime 32 master (Armie Ham- mer), crawls across the hardwood of his own “HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL” “BREATHTAKING” home as he bleeds out, people37 who saw and we see between the murder of Kitty ‘‘POWERFUL AND ILLUMINATING’’ him and Turner a Genovese didn’t gently lit cross in a call the police stained-glass window. Is Parker suggesting October 7-13 God’s approval? Indif- Showtimes: ference? Is this a vision 1:10 • 3:10 • 5:10 • 7:10 • 9:10 of Turner’s? Of the 22 E 12th St. NYC dying man’s? cinemavillage.com

October 5–October 11, 2016 October 5–October 11, Turner’s conception of God is a mystery in . Celebrated as unusually .com intelligent, young Turner (played by Tony Espinosa until Parker takes over) is given a Bible by the plantation owner’s sister (Penel- ope Ann Miller), and VILLAGE VOICE VILLAGE “This isn’t about soon he’s taken to me!” the writer/ preaching sermons for director/star in the slaves. We get spirited center of this frame FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 - THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 tells the press. glimpses of these, but Parker exhibits no curi- 1886 B’way 62nd & 63rd Sts. • (212)757-0359 Sony Pictures Classics osity about what the WWW.LINCOLNPLAZACINEMA.COM 143 E. Houston St. • (212)260-7289 FRIDAY 10/7 THRU THURSDAY 10/13: WWW.LANDMARKTHEATRES.COM until it was made, it’s no surprise that his child believes or how he reconciles the 12:15, 2:05, 4:15, 6:20, 8:15, 10:05 FRI 10/7-THURS 10/13: 12:00*, 1:55, portrayal is at least convincingly zealous. good news of the Gospels with the every- 3:45, 5:45, 7:45, 9:45 (*NO WEDS.) ▼ Film Yes, The Birth of a Nation offers a trou- day reality of his own bondage. Later, Q&A APPEARANCE FRIDAY 7:45PM AT SUNSHINE CINEMA bling tangle of the personal and the his- when Parker’s Turner is dispatched to with GOVERNOR ANDREW M.CUOMO and the Director & Producer. torical. But above all else it’s commercial, sermonize at neighboring plantations, the Q&A appearance this weekend by Director Kim A. Snyder, an entertainment of purpose and some slave preacher hits upon the idea of Bible Producer Maria Cuomo Cole, Newtown Community Members & guests. CHECK THEATER WEBSITES FOR DETAILS. power. Parker knows how to juice a stories as code. It’s an invigorating scene, A Difficult Birth crowd. As the plantation life he depicts with Parker shouting about kings and in- became increasingly violent, I heard iquities, and the white overseers gazing Nate Parker’s audacious slave-rebellion VillageThe Voice_Wed.10/5only documentary ever to have debuted in Iran and3.1x5.42 shown in Gaza and Israel. gasps and “oh no”s even from the audi- on in confusion. But it’s also unclear: Has Alpine Cinemas Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York, October 7th until October 13th (12:00, 2:00, 5:45, 7:30) thriller seeks absolution BY ALAN SCHERSTUHL ence of unpleasable critics I saw this there been a shift in his belief in the with. As a storyteller, Parker is good at the Word, or has there been a shift in his IMAX-VoT-VillageVoice-Outlines-1.475x3.indd2016-09-30 9:55 1 AM orgiveness is tricky and per- rebellion. Of course it’s important, things Hollywood is still good at: the understanding of its usage? sonal, and you can’t be blamed whether or not you can stomach paying to anticipation of violence; scenes of beating This matters because the film — and KACEY SANDRINE CORENTIN for not offering it. Buying a see it. It’s everything Hollywood has and humiliation; men shouting the truths Turner’s life — turns on a question of MOTTET KLEIN KIBERLAIN FILA ticket to Nate Parker’s slave- failed for a century to put on our screens. that motivate them; the pleasures of retri- belief. Fascinatingly, it’s also a question of “VIBRANT!” revolt drama The Birth of a It dares not soften black anger or ques- bution; men forging bonds through such forgiveness. The incident that inspires – Peter Debruge, VARIETY FNation demands at least some measure of tion its righteousness. It is, as Woodrow bloody work. The rousing scene of the beating that stirs in Turner the con- it. As you’ve probably heard, while a stu- Wilson might have it, history reclaimed Turner’s army of freed slaves each stating viction to kill his master plays out quickly dent at Penn State, Parker — the film’s with lightning. what he would be doing at that moment if and strangely: A white sot has been star, director, and screenwriter — was It’s also a movie in which Parker the he were still barred from every church in this patch of charged with the rape of an eighteen- actor, in the Turner role, gets to stare on the planta- , and, scared for his soul, he at last OFFICIAL SELECTION year-old woman. At issue was whether down, with cool mightiness, accusations tion almost turns to the famous slave preacher to ask the sex, which followed a night of heavy that he has stained a white woman’s THE FILM DARES makes up for to be baptized. Parker’s Turner agrees to FROM THE DIRECTOR OF WILD REEDS drinking, was consensual. Parker was ac- honor. Later he acts out vengeance NOT SOFTEN the earlier this with his usual steely purpose. AND THE WRITER OF GIRLHOOD quitted in 2001; his friend Jean McGianni against a rapist himself. Such incidents BLACK ANGER horror-film Just seconds of screen time after his Celestin, who receives a story credit on belong in a Nat Turner story, of course, OR QUESTION ITS jump scares. introduction, the sot gets to wade in the the film, was convicted in the same inci- but in this Nat Turner story they disquiet Most shots, water, washed of his sins by a man with- A FILM BY ANDRÉ TÉCHINÉ dent, but that conviction was overturned for more than their depiction of Ameri- RIGHTEOUSNESS some of them out freedom. This is a profound choice on Ava DuVernay, Director Adam Driver, Actor on appeal years later, after witnesses had can cruelty and injustice. The historical striking, are Turner’s part, and a profound risk, an act ★★★H – SLANT MAGAZINE Opening Night Film, 13TH U.S. Premiere, PATERSON moved away and prosecutors declined to has bound up with the personal in ways designed to communicate one big and of grace for which he will suffer greatly. retry the case. Despite the acquittals, the beyond Parker’s control — in ways that simple feeling; the film grows more But The Birth of a Nation doesn’t give details remain sickening, and as the case lessen the impact of the history. convincing as the feelings it’s after get Turner a moment to weigh this decision, is retried in the press today the victim is Parker crafts scenes, a little generi- more upsetting. There’s some nice mon- to show us what it means to him or to let FROM THE ACADEMY WINNING PRODUCER OF “SCHINDLER’S LIST” AND “GLADIATOR” not around to speak up for herself — she cally, to suggest the four-century contin- tage work, especially of plantation labor, us know that he has considered the BRANKO LUSTIG committed suicide in 2012. uum of white brutality against the flesh and Parker and editor Steven Rosenblum consequences. Turner absolves the man NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 16 For all that we have The Birth of a and spirits of African Americans, but he adeptly handle leaps in time. But when it nobody else will, and the writer/director/ PRODUCERS BRANKO LUSTIG STEPHEN OLLENDORFF JAKOV SEDLAR MUSIC PERFORMED BY DANIEL BARENBOIM Nation, in theaters across America, a film also crafts them, in that Mel Gibson way, turns to love, The Birth of a Nation actor doesn’t bother to dramatize why. DIRECTED BY JAKOV SEDLAR & DOMINIK SEDLAR W. 65TH STREET | LINCOLN CENTER fully deemed important before anyone so that they seem to emphasize his own becomes quaintly pretty: A wedding- That’s how tricky and personal forgive- THE OLLENDORFF CENTER AS FILM PRODUCTION VISION STUDIOS outside of Sundance had seen it. (Parker’s moral certainty and indomitability. He’s night tableau of Turner and bride Cherry ness is — even Nate Parker can’t wrap his past, though in the public record, did playing a folk hero, not a person, a man () is all nude silhouettes, a head around it. EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENTS nothing to quell distributors’ bidding beset by cowards, touched by God, and wash of moonlight and a pair of candles START FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 For Your Consideration FILMLINC.ORG/NYFF frenzy.) It’s a passion project, an indie never in doubt about what he must do melting into each other. (Maybe write the LINCOLN PLAZA CINEMAS IFC CENTER The Birth of a Nation 1886 B’WAY BET. 62ND & 63RD STS. 323 SIXTH AVE. AT stab at an African-American Braveheart, next to achieve the impossible. Since happy couple some dialogue?) The occa- ADVANCE TICKETS: WEST THIRD ST. Written and directed by Nate Parker lincolnplazacinema.com 924-7771 a bluntly potent revenge thriller spun Parker’s the writer/director/leading man sional stabs at richness or complexity Sony Pictures Classics INFO: 212-757-2280 ifccenter.com Best Documentary Feature Photo: Victor Castro from the truth of Nat Turner’s 1831 of a movie the money men didn’t want don’t amount to much — Turner’s first Opens October 7 STRANDRELEASING.COM

VILLAGE VOICE WEDS 10/5 1/16 Pg (1.475” x 4.7”) 4C