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Origin

"You don't escape trauma by ignoring it. You escape trauma by confronting it." In a film that shatters you with loss and picks you right back up with the sincerest care, Ava DuVernay somehow figures out a way to lead you through a rich exploration of the caste system while keeping the arc of the story completely in tact. The spotlight that is shown on self-proclaimed hierarchy throughout different cultures at different moments in history is just as cinematic as it is shockingly educational. The melodramatic sequences are balanced by a stunning score from Kris Bowers which urges you to feel every emotion with these characters. Though expansive, the cast is intimately connected through the performance of Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Whether it's the realistic portrayal of weighted sadness or the vigorous determination to successfully showcase a remarkable discovery, Ellis-Taylor is at the heart of humanizing every bit of this story. No sugarcoating, no beating around the bush, and no escape; "Origin" pays tribute to those who stand out, and by doing so, highlights the discomfort that it takes to make a continuous difference, rather than a temporary one.

It's a didactic biopic set from about 2012 to 2020, following Isabel Wilkerson's (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) journey in writing her non-fiction book that explores the role of caste in shaping human relationships in as disparate ways as African American and White relationships in the United States, German and Jewish relationships, particularly in the National Socialist era, and the history of caste in India and its impact on the Dalits. Her research finds pillars and parallels that suggest the universality of the caste system. Wilkerson, who is African American, won the Pulitzer Prize for an earlier book in 2010. The film's technique sets the research against the backdrop of her family life. This includes her mother, Ruby (Emily Yancy), her Anglo husband Brett (Jon Bernthal), and close cousin, Marion (Niecy Nash). Many other acquaintances from the publishing world also appear. We see historic flashbacks of seminal events and persons that support her thesis, including one astounding audio clip from Martin Luther King Jr. "Origin" is not a fast-paced drama. It wants to make a point and takes its time doing so. However, it is remarkably effective; Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor gives an excellent performance, as does Niecy Nash. Bernthal and Yancy are also good but have less screen time. The film might have been stronger with more historical flashbacks (they are very effective) and a bit less on some of Wilkerson's personal relationships.

Movies don't tend to pass a test of logic and cogency, but as this one is about a comprehensive argument and a GUT, it unusually, necessitates a logical analysis. The development of an anachronistic anthropological unified theory is perilous and this film's presentation of that work does not succeed for a few clear reasons. It is reductionist; it relies on fundamental informal, and formal, fallacies of inference which are central to the project,and because of its logical deficiencies, fails to make its final conclusion valid. The vaulted ambition to unite phenomena into a single entity is a common fault of human reasoning, and whilst plausible and excusable in everyday thinking, it is absolutely wrong. As an undergraduate university essay it would be failed on those grounds; qualified logical reasoning should not make such simple errors. This analysis does not necessarily dispute the arguments about social hierarchy, disadvantage and the bogus historical racialist theories, but examined, rather as discrete, noncontiguous identities, not in aggregate. As a piece of art, the movie is quite commonplace, at least in terms of contemporary production and directing style, which is not to give it a plaudit, but it is certainly too long A sharper edit would inject a sense of intellectual pursuit.

I have been waiting to see Origin since I heard about after it got a standing ovation at a film festival. I watched for days to see where it was going to be shown and finally it came to my local theater. I had read good reviews and bad ones, but I knew I had to see it. And I was right. I haven't ever been moved so much by a film as I was moved by this one. My husband, who usually doesn't pay attention to artsy films, paid attention to this one. You have to get use to the time jumps but they work effectively. The movie is brilliant, with a stellar story, gut wrenchingly beautiful performances from the cast, and a message that hits you, whether you want to think about it or not. I agree with one reviewer who said everyone in the world should see this movie.

Touching story but not really moved by the movie itself. Could be hard to watch for some. At the end of the day it was decent, I just think it was one of those movies that's more important than it's actually good. But because it's an important story people are gonna butter the movie up. Could've been a better as a documentary if you ask me. The grainy sharp visual style, evoking an old movie feel despite its modern setting, wasn't to my liking. It's paced really slow and isn't engaging. It works on the assumption that you're already invested and care. It's like using puppy dog eyes. There are scenes that work but too few and too far apart especially in the first half of the movie; so the parts in between felt like a drag. There are few scenes and conversations that are memorable later on that make it worth a watch. But I doubt this is a movie you'd wanna see twice. The movie could benefit from fewer subplots, like the mother's, to maintain better focus. I think I'd have been invested more if it was paced quicker and had less things going on. The biggest thing I learned about was the Indian dalits, called the untouchables, who're the lowest stratum of the castes in the India. The Jews, and African Americans in America. This isn't in the movie but Several scholars have drawn parallels between Dalits and the Burakumin of Japan, the Baekjeong of Korea, the Hukou system of China. I think learning about them was what made the movie interesting enough for me, otherwise if I had already known about them like I knew about Jews in Germany or blacks in America; I would've been even more bored. I wish it was paced better, it felt much longer than it actually is. For a good chunk of the second half, it felt like a wait for the conclusion. It's a very heavy loaded film and leaves you with things to think about and some learnings. It's a thought-provoking experience but struggles to captivate, taking too long to get into its stride.

This is a very moving film. The performances were top notch. The film has a slow pace, but it picks up around the half way mark with more interesting turns for the protagonist. It's amazing to see the growth of the protagonist as she grows in strength after experiencing tremendous loss. It propels her to finish what she started. Editing was good along with costume design. The film definitely could have been shorter. I heard several snores in the theater, but my wife and I were glued to the nuanced discussions going on in the film. It's-a film with a slow burn but satisfying finish. I'd watch it again actually!

Ava DuVernay, whose work as a director I've never taken to up until now finds her voice in this powerhouse, conceptually rich drama about an author who, in coping with the untimely death of her husband, turns her focus to an all-encompassing thesis on the recurring and entrenched nature of social inequality and oppression over the course of history and in different parts of the world. The project she undertakes and her conclusions are the focus of this challenging film. Her painstaking work is often juxtaposed against her ongoing state of grief. Aunjanue L. Ellis-Taylor is exceptional as the protagonist who brings her own experience as a black woman to the academic work that she is committed to. Jon Bernthal is sympathetic and effective as her white husband. The film is not afraid to tackle different points of view on social injustice and the occasional rift that they generate. The author's research entails America during and after slavery up to the present day with the murder of Trayvon Martin, the Jews' experience in Nazi Germany and India in the present day. The scope of the author's work is so wide-ranging that it's hard to describe the film's tone or point of view as divisive, strident or anything other than even-handed. It's hard to understate the sheer scope of this kind of academic endeavor and the research and effort that went into it. DuVernay conveys this in a sweeping, broad-based approach that elevates this film beyond being a mere biopic. It surely feels more than that. By contrast, I always felt that her earlier film "Selma" had only flashes of filmmaking brilliance. In this instance, it feels more like a profound thesis on society, human history and basic empathy. It doesn't always ring a chord, but its voice is granite and sincere. We get a perspicacious look into the long-standing obstacles to equality in the world and come away enlightened. Strongly recommended to those who are open-minded and long for cinema of substance.

Here's The 4K Lowedown on "Origin" (PG-13 - 2023 - Theater) Genre: Drama/History My Score: 8.6 Cast=10 Acting=10 Trailer=7 Ending=8 Story=8 Visuals=7 Direct=9 Sounds=7 Genre=10 Sub-genre=10 The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. "Most relationships end...friendships, romances...they break." Based on the book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" by Isabel Wilkerson, this movie is an enlightened and heart-wrenching take on how certain groups of people can view other groups as less. With a startling revelation for me that was as surprising as it was hard to sit through. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal are amazing in this movie...I'm sure some will not like this, but I feel this is an excellent one-time watch.