Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Birth of a Nation" (2016)

Nate Parker

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

A Look at 2016's Race Issues and "The Birth of a Nation"

Nate Parker

If one was to have a conversation eight months ago about what film would lead the Oscar race in 2016, many would say director Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation. It premiered at Sundance at a time where the film's record breaking sale felt like its own type of big racial statement. It was a time where The Academy was under fire for their "Oscars So White" problem, and here was a film about the black experience that could be held as, well, the token black film. Cut to eight months later, and the conversation has changed not only on the film's chances, but the director's own controversial past. With the film coming out this Friday, one must ask themselves: Is The Birth of a Nation going to stand any chance at the Oscars next year?

AFI Cancels "The Birth of a Nation" Screening Following Rape Scandal

Nate Parker

If you're someone who has been preparing for September and the start of Oscar season, then director Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation has likely been on your radar. It started in January at Sundance when the film was bought for an unprecedented amount and quickly became the front runner for Sundance's annual Oscar potential candidates. With the first trailer also proving to be striking, it is a film that is at least trying to be as monumental as 12 Years a Slave from three years back. While most of the readers here have likely not seen it, the film has already come under controversy with the American Film Institute (AFI) canceling a screening and interview with Parker regarding rape allegations. There's even been talk of an Academy voter not seeing the film because of this. It looks like Parker's moment of fame has been tarnished, but can he possibly recover?

"The Birth of a Nation" Trailer Jumps With Ferocity and Purpose

Scene from The Birth of a Nation

With the year only being four months old, there's few films that already have an Oscar conversation around it quite like director Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation. For starters, it was an immediate success when it premiered at Sundance and even acquired one of the highest buys in the film festival's history. With little known to the public other than its plot about Nat Turner's slave rebellion, it has been curious to see if it will escape the festival circuit buzz and strike a chord with audiences. From the looks of the first trailer, it's definitely trying to hit all of those marks.