The Birth of A Nation, an Untold True Story of Slave Rebellion

The Birth of A Nation, an Untold¹ True Story of Slave Rebellion

The Birth of a Nation, about the 1831 uprising of a slave community in the American south, is a fiery² account of a rebellion against injustice³ and oppression. Based on a true story, the film offers an unflinching look at the brutal⁴ event. First-time filmmaker Nate Parker reclaims⁵ the film title “The Birth of a Nation,” from D.W. Griffith's 1915 pro⁶ Ku Klux Klan interpretation⁷ of the Civil War. Parker presents the story of Nat Turner, a slave preacher, who decided⁸ to right the wrongs against his people by taking up arms.

’Unlike most films about slavery, which have focused on the perseverance⁹ and sacrifice of slaves in the American South during the antebellum era, The Birth of a Nation talks of rebellion and revenge.

The film follows Nat Turner’s journey to radicalization and rebellion. A studious boy, Nat was likely taught to read by his white masters, and became a recognized preacher in the slave community. His ability to soothe¹⁰ and console the enslaved hearts of his brethern was exploited by slaveowners, who saw the word of the Bible as a way to teach slaves passivity and obedience¹¹ to the white master.

But during his preaching tours, Turner saw so much abuse against the slaves, he could no longer turn the other cheek. The more pain he witnessed, the more his sermons became combative¹², defiant¹³, and aggressive. He was punished severely¹⁴. His wife raped¹⁵. But Turner did not submit.

Parker says he got invested in the story not only as a filmmaker and an actor, but also as an activist¹⁶. “Understanding the importance of Nat Turner and projecting the story in a way that is positive and honest has been on my soul since the moment I said I need to make this film,” he says.

The film is powerful in its cinematography, its attempts at historic accuracy, and its compelling story of systemic prejudice and abuse.

Unfortunately, the movie, which had an early Oscar buzz, may be doomed¹⁷ to obscurity because of resurfacing allegations that Parker raped a young woman during his college years. Although he was acquitted¹⁸ in court in 2001, the news is threatening to overshadow his work. Time will tell if The Birth of a Nation will survive its controversial creator, as well as its controversial message that for the oppressed, sometimes the way to redemption is by the sword.

1 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。

2 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

3 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

4 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

5 reclaims   

v.开拓( reclaim的第三人称单数 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Society reclaims criminals by teaching them skills. 社会通过教给罪犯技能来改造他们。 来自辞典例句
• When next collecting comes, garbage collector reclaims its memory. 等下一轮回收时，垃圾回收器才会将其回收。 来自互联网

6 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

7 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

10 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

11 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

12 combative   

adj.好战的；好斗的

参考例句：

• Mr. Obama has recently adopted a more combative tone.奥巴马总统近来采取了一种更有战斗性的语调。
• She believes that women are at least as combative as are.她相信女性至少和男性一样好斗。

13 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

14 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

15 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

16 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

17 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

18 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。