It was naïve of me to believe that an American filmmaker in our feeble era would actually take on the Nat Turner story. We’re not up to it — we don’t have the respect for history, or the imagination, or the guts.

Before I saw Nate Parker’s Birth of a Nation, I wrongly believed that he might do something worthwhile, because of his seemingly brilliant revisionist use of that title. But now I give up. After the bitter experiences of Django Unchained, and The Free State of Jones, and now this travesty, I won’t be suckered in anymore. We might just as well forget about dealing cinematically with slavery or the Civil War in this country (even while granting an honorable mention to 12 Years a Slave).

Maybe someday, a great filmmaker from another nation could take it on for us, and show us how it’s done.