Synopsis:
‘Antebellum’ is based on a simple idea popularized by Nobel Prize-winning American writer Willaim Faulkner, who stated, ‘Past is never dead.’ It hasn’t even passed.’
Cast & Crew:
Gerard Bush| Director, Producer
Christopher Renz| Producer
Eric Lange| Actor
Jena Malone| Actor
Jack Huston| Actor
Kiersey Clemons| Actor
Gabourey Sidibe| Actor
Story:
Veronica Henley, a critically acclaimed author, and sociologist finds herself trapped in a disturbing reality on a slave plantation, where white people commit heinous atrocities against black people. She must make sense of everything and flee before it’s too late.
Review:
Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz set the stage for a perplexing tale of horrors with an elaborate opening scene shot in slo-mo that appears to be a single take. We’ve been whisked away to a lush green slave plantation in Louisiana, where white American Confederate soldiers have enslaved a slew of black people. If they do not toe the line, the black slaves are renamed, not allowed to speak without permission, mercilessly assaulted, and even killed, dressed in colonial-era costumes. Eden (Janelle Monáe), a young black woman, is a rebel at heart, but she understands all too well that she must wait for the right opportunity to flee. She has witnessed the brutal murders of her peers at the hands of cruel white soldiers. Even as atrocities against them become more common, more black slaves are enlisted in the infantry. Captain Jasper (Jack Huston), Elizabeth (Jena Malone), and Army General Blake Denton (Eric Lange) imprison them and force them to slog.
The colonial setting and the sense of intrigue that is built right from the start are the narrative’s main highlights. When it shifts gears to the modern era, more surprises are thrown in, raising the level of intrigue several notches. While past racial atrocities are depicted with gut-wrenching violence, it is the subtle profiling and discrimination that is more relatable. Those bits are handled deftly with a thrilling build-up and a non-linear narrative, leaving the audience both confused and invested. The writing is informal, but it attempts to achieve a deeper subtext through its main characters and their situations in the past and present.
Veronica is the author of the book ‘Shedding the Coping Persona,’ which discusses the inclusion of gender, class, and race, but despite being a successful black woman, she faces casual racism in her daily life. With suspense and drama, the juxtaposition of this new-age discrimination with the abject cruelty of the past is thrillingly depicted.
Janelle Monáe, a singer-turned-actor, is the ideal protagonist for both eras. She evokes the fear and steely determination of a woman who has been wronged, wrecked, and ridiculed solely because of her skin color. Dawn, Veronica’s loud and chirpy friend, is played by Gabourey Sidibe, who is slightly over-the-top. Only Jack Huston as Captain Jasper stands out among the villains. The rest are crude stereotypes of racist white people filled with inexplicable hatred for people of color.
‘Antebellum’ is based on a simple idea popularized by Nobel Prize-winning American writer Willaim Faulkner, who stated, ‘Past is never dead.’ It hasn’t even passed.’ While doing so, it cleverly functions as a riveting social commentary that combines the horrors of the past with the current context of black lives matter.
