When award-winning Filmmaker Ava DuVernay sets her mind to do something, she does it, with care and excellent execution.
Her latest film, Origin, based on the intellectual writing of Isabel Wilkerson, once again shows her amazing talents in bringing this to life. Many productions play a crucial role in highlighting underrepresented individuals and narratives, but only a few achieve a revolutionary impact that is both powerful and informative.
The film translates Isabel Wilkerson’s book, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” to the screen by taking a distinctive approach to adapting nonfiction by showcasing the author’s intellectual research and work to a visual platform. While the book does not follow a narrative, DuVernay brings Wilkerson’s work to life and beautifully puts it together for an audience. To be able to visualize intellectual works is no easy task, but with the use of Isabel’s narrative, intertwined with her travels to India and flashbacks to Nazi Germany, slavery, and pivotal moments in history, DuVernay truly brings the research and findings to life, while teaching us about the complexities of history and power structures while also addressing the challenging journey.
In Caste, Isabel Wilkerson contends that for a comprehensive understanding of the United States and its tumultuous history, one must move beyond a focus on race and instead comprehend the impact of Caste. She defines Caste as an artificial and unchanging structural system, representing a “ranking of human value” that establishes the presumed superiority of one group against the presumed inferiority of others. Isabel Wilkerson draws connections between the brutal consequences of American slavery, the horrific crimes of the Holocaust, and the caste system in India. In “Origin” the narrative skillfully intertwines together a deep sense of sorrow, recognizing the recurrent nature inherent in history alongside Isabel Wilkerson’s battles. Turning Isabel’s book into a film was often dubbed unadaptable by many, but DuVernay utilizes 16mm film to form a uniform aesthetic throughout while navigating the different times of the Jim Crow South, Nazi Germany, and early 20th-century India. Scenes such as when a Nazi soldier executes a Jewish woman intertwined with the simultaneous gunshot that kills Trayvon Martin make the film both impactful and easier to understand based on Isabel’s theory. The consistent filmmaking serves as an accurate, reflection of Isabel’s thesis, while the emotional storyline serves as a teaching point for everyone watching.
The cast in “Origin” plays a huge part in its monumental impact, with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor taking on the role of Wilkerson, a journalist-turned-celebrated author who balances work while caring for her mother and spending time with her husband Brett (Jon Bernthal) and cousin Marion (Niecy Nash-Betts). Aunjanue’s emotional connection and performance are phenomenal when navigating the different life experiences in Isabel’s story, such as how her investigation into the murder of Trayvon Martin, sparked her journey to understand the roots of racism on a global scale stemming back decades in history. Isabel grapples with personal loss and unimaginable grief while trying to put her research together, and in these moments Aunjanue shines through in bringing Isabel’s emotions to the screen while still trying to focus on her thesis. Niecey and Jon’s remarkable performances bring Isabel’s personal experiences to life and aid in really understanding the story and the battles Isabel faced while tackling such a body of work.
”Origin” is a cinematic experience that amplifies the deep-rooted issue of global oppression. It is a film that is both heart-wrenching and powerful. Without a doubt, it is one of the best pieces of cinema to be presented to an audience and I encourage you to watch it.
”Origin” will be set for a wide release on January 19.
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