(062024)
Origin is a bold, socially conscious, and intellectually challenging film
indirectly about race in America and more directly about the larger caste
systems in the world. The film was inspired by the bestselling book, Caste: The
Contents of Our Discontents by Isabel Dickerson, but It is not in the strictest
terms an adaptation. The main character in the film is the author, Dickerson
herself and she is shown traveling through India, the southern U.S. and Germany
to research her book.
The film features first rate performance by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (If Beale
Street Could Talk, King Richard, and The Color Purple) as Dickerson.
The supporting cast, all of which are effective in an understated way include
Jon Bernthal (Walking Dead) as her husband. Here Bernthal plays opposite his
Frank Castle role in The Punisher Netflix series. Additionally the film features Emily Yancy as her sick mom, Niecy
Nash-Betts as Isabel’s cousin and Vera Ann Fermiga from Up in the Air. All turn
in superlative performances.
The film and book compare the different rigid caste systems in the American
south, India, and Nazi era Germany. Caste is the systemically placing of one
group of people above another. The book argues that the Nazis modeled their
system of racial separation after the one in the US’s south, but the caste
system in India has lasted much longer than either one is still strongly in
place.
The film was directed by Ava DuVerney who also did A Wrinkle in Time. Origin
came about when Oprah Winfrey told the screenplay writer/director, Ava DuVerney
to read Wilkerson’s book which was based on the thesis that all racism is rooted
in caste, and the world’s different caste systems are often interrelated.
Like I said the book is in not strict terms a documentary: it is more of a
docudrama. The film often quotes directly from the book and has sequences that
illustrate the principles in the book in different real life historical
situations.
There are many recurring images of falling leaves (there are more of them here
than in the film
Fallen Leaves). This may symbolically reflect the death of the
main character’s husband (Brett as played by Jon Bernthal) who can also be seen
as a beautiful leaf that fell too soon. The film has many glorious flashbacks
which show the biracial couple in day-to-day activities in their almost perfect
relationship. The flashbacks seem exaggerated (and he is romanticized) as if
they were told from the point of video of a person who just lost someone who
only remembers the selected best parts of the relationship which is appropriate.
The film uses the brutal Treyvon Martin killing as a starting point, then it
jumps to 30s pre–Nazi Germany where Jews in a camp are getting their heads
shaved by Nazis, than it goes to India where Saraj Yengde teaches her about the
Dalit untouchables in India which draws comparison to Jim Crow and racism. The
Dalits are so low on the societal totem pole that students are not even allowed
to sit on desks in the classroom or touch books and they are referred to as
untouchables.
This is linked to a scene in the 1950s where a person of color was not allowed
to go into a pool with white people (he was put in a floating device when the
coach complained.) The boss said if he went into the pool it would have to be
disinfected. This shows that like the Dalits in India were both seen as
untouchables.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Isabel Dickerson, the ultra-earnest author of the
book who was reluctantly tempted back into journalism when an editor dangles a
tasty story morsel in front of her. The editor insists that Isabel listens to a
tape of Trayvon Martin’s (portrayed here by Myles Frost) murder. She comes to
realize as she listens that the case is not just about race, but it falls into a
larger pattern of international social class division.
There is a really interesting scene in which a couple of color who are studying
castes in Germany is in a house with a Jewish couple in Berlin. The Jewish woman
is alarmed when she says that slavery in America was a genocide comparable to
the mass murder of the Jews in Europe because we do not know how many people of
color really died as a direct result of slavery. The Jewish woman protests
saying the two events are not at all comparable because the killing of Jews was
an end to itself not for commerce like the slave deaths, but Dickerson is put
off because she mistakenly thinks that the German woman wants to minimize the
effects or tragedy of slavery. The scene which is unlike any other in recent
film captures perfectly how easy it is for friends to misunderstand each other
when they are talking about sensitive issues.
Except for the classic Night John, it is hard to think of a film better much
suited for a social studies class or a cultural anthropology class. There was
even a special deal in which people who really love the film can gift their
friends a ticket. Unfortunately, even the inventive marketing was not enough to
draw many people to see what I thought was one of of the best films of the year.
I am glad that it is getting a second shot.
Although it was released late last year in some places it opened only in the
Chicago area early in 2024 and it is scheduled to come back to the big screens
at some suburban theaters including Crestwood on June 19 and it should not be
missed. Hopefully, the film which has done mediocre business at the box office so far
will eventually get some of the exposure it deserves. This is surely one of the
most thoughtful, compelling, and best written films about civil rights related
issues since
Judas and the Black Messiah, and it would be a near tragedy if it
were permanently overlooked or lost in the shuffle.
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Directed & Written by:
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Ava DuVernay, inspired by the book Caste: The
Contents of Our Discontents by Isabel Dickerson |
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Starring:
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Aunjanua Ellis Taylor, Joe Bernthal, Niecy Nash |
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Released: |
01/19/2024 (USA) |
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Rating:
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PG 13 for thematic material, involving racism,
violence and some disturbing images |
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Available On:
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At press time the film will return to Chicago area
theatres on June 19. It is also available on various
streaming formats such as Google Play, YouTube
and Amazon Prime. |
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For more
writings by Vittorio Carli go to
www.artinterviews.org and
www.chicagopoetry.org.
His latest book "Tape Worm Salad with Olive Oil for Extra Flavor" is also
available.
Mister Carli will host the program: Poetry and Film at the Back of the Yards
Branch of the Chicago Public Library on Saturday, April 13th at 3:00pm. The
public is welcome to attend this free event
Come to the New Poetry Show on the first Saturday of every month at Tangible
Books in
Bridgeport from 7-9 at 3324 South Halsted.
This is now a monthly show featuring Poetry/Spoken Word, some Music, Stand Up
and Performance Art and hosted by Mister Carli. For more information e-mail:
carlivit@gmail.com for details
Upcoming features at the Poetry Show:
July 6-Mary Hawley, Mike Puican. Pablo Ramirez and Myron L. Stokes
August 3-Adrienne Davis, Erren Kelly, Kway La Soul and Kara Trojan
Special Bonus Show on August 17-Andrea Change and Janet Kuypers plus Others to
be Announced
September 7-Katherine Chronis and Jacqui Wolk
October 5-College Night?
November 2-Robin Fine, Lynn West and Sid Yiddish
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ORIGIN © 2024 Array Filmworks
All Rights Reserved
Review © 2024 Alternate Reality, Inc. |
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