A difficult birth for Nate’s film

Parker embarked on a largely unsuccessful media tour in an attempt to defuse the rape case controversy. As of last week, some industry experts were still optimistic the movie could be successful: One box office analyst told USA Today that the controversy may well pique curiosity and drive opening-weekend totals to $16m or even $20m.

What happened? While some moviegoers may have been put off by the controversy, middling reviews for the movie itself probably didn’t help. Meanwhile, historic dramas can be a hard sell. It’s possible a lot of multiplex visitors just plain weren’t interested.

Searchlight, which released the film into theatres, isn’t giving up hope. The company’s head of distribution, Frank Rodriguez, told The New York Times the film’s financial outlook could improve over coming weekends as moviegoers keep talking about it.

Parker’s film, a historical dramatisation of the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, had been hailed earlier this year as a hopeful antidote to the lack of diversity among Oscar- nominated films. But over the summer, reporters resurrected the story of a 1999 rape case involving Parker and fellow writer Jean McGianni Celestin, who were charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old freshman when they were Penn State wrestlers and roommates.

Their accuser claimed the two men had sex with her while she was unconscious after a night of drinking and incapable of giving consent. Parker was acquitted. Celestin was convicted, but his verdict was overturned on appeal. The woman successfully sued Penn State for failing to protect her from repeated harassment by Parker and Celestin.

Parker had addressed the case in media interviews years ago. But the story drew more attention in August when Variety revealed his accuser committed suicide in 2012.

Several prominent feminists decried Parker’s defiant response to the scandal and pledged to boycott the film, which drew a protest vigil at Hollywood’s ArcLight Cinemas last week. It isn’t clear to what degree the rape case controversy affected ticket sales. For those who did see the movie, the response was positive: The movie received a solid “A” grade in CinemaScore exit polls. But that probably means nothing in terms of the movie’s once-high Oscar hopes.

With Hollywood awards season ramping up, showbiz pundits would have been wringing their hands over whether to reward a gifted film-maker despite his offscreen controversies.

But the Academy Awards are an industry award, after all, and if it’s not a box-office champ or a massive critical success, Oscar voters are unlikely to get invested. It’s fair to say the big debate over The Birth of a Nation is over – and the audience, or lack thereof, ended it. – The Washington Post

The Birth of a Nation. Nate Parker as Nat Turner in