Ava DuVernay’s Origin is a powerful and thought-provoking film that is sure to leave a lasting impression on its viewers. Based on Isabel Wilkerson’s non-fiction book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, the movie is an investigative drama that explores the themes of race, caste, and history.
The film follows Isabel Wilkerson (played by Aunjanue Ellis), a journalist who is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her mother. As she embarks on a journey to write a book about Trayvon Martin, she discovers the links between American slavery, the Holocaust, and India’s caste system. The film is a moving drama that’s unafraid to ask big questions and honors its source material with powerful performances in service of a deeply emotional story.
The film is a sprawling epic that is both convincing and engaging. It is a dense, forceful masterwork that is, quite simply, the most radical film of DuVernay’s career. The movie is a captivating tale that will surprise you with its astounding information presented in an extremely entertaining way, with stories that are absolutely captivating. The film is a powerful and artistic interpretation of an academic book that was anything but an obvious candidate for a narrative feature.
The present-day scenes look grainy and natural, often conveying an emotional immediacy from the wounds in Wilkerson’s life. The film is visually stunning, with the consistency offered by 16mm film that means that DuVernay doesn’t rely on tawdry means, such as adding an ugly patina to the photography to indicate changes in decades.
Overall, Origin is a must-watch for anyone who is interested in exploring the complexities of race and caste in modern society. It’s a film that will leave you thinking long after the credits have rolled.
Set partly in India, the award-winning film ORIGIN is now playing in theaters adapted from the best-selling book “Caste” including the story of Dr. Ambedkar, the father of India’s Constitution. Hollywood heavyweights Angelina Jolie, Ben Affleck and others have praised the Ava DuVernay-directed film as one of the best films of the year.
Watch the theatrical trailer for ORIGIN here:
