The “Great Racial Awakening of 2020”, the absurd exercise in performative allyship that followed George Floyd’s murder, was indeed a disappointing time. The unfulfilled promises to “be better” are still rearing their ugly heads in Hollywood and the workplace. If you’re looking outside those arenas, the news is worse. Yet, a few glimmers of hope also came about during that time.
Published in August 2020, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent was the perfect antidote to that space’s hollow spectacles of unity by exploring how the current state of human division in America came to be. Now, the brilliant Ava Duvernay made Wilkerson’s gem the basis of her first film in six years, Origin.
Origin, which stars Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson, is an illustrious example of edutainment at its finest. As writer and director, Duvernay crafts a masterclass in duality.
Half the film is ripped directly from the pages of Caste. This part is an academic exercise that eloquently walks the viewer through the research and historical anecdotes Wilkerson used to write the book. The other half is a dramatized account of the events that led to and ultimately shaped Wilkerson’s writing of Caste. It’s the story behind the story.
From a writing perspective, Duvernay’s work is among the best adapted screenplays from 2023. She deftly accomplishes breaking down a scholastic conversation into something palatable for the masses, something most documentaries do, and Duvernay did herself with 13th. This script's magic comes from the intricate and authentic dialogue featured in the scenes apart from Wilkerson’s literary endeavors. The slavery vs. Holocaust conversation between Wilkerson and colleagues might be among the most powerful out there, and scenes between Wilkerson and her loved ones hit harder than that.
As a director, Duvernay moves Origin at a pace that makes it an affecting cinematic experience instead of purely educational. She meticulously organized and melded a collection of scenes that lean heavily in both genres into a coherent trail of breadcrumbs that lead directly to the film and book’s overarching theme. You don’t expect the journey she takes you on, but you come out much better for it.
For everything Duvernay brings to Origin, it’s Ellis-Taylor’s show. In another example of making the most out of a long overdue opportunity, this is the movie equivalent of her turn in the “I Am” episode of Lovecraft Country – she’s here to blow you away.
She’s in nearly every scene of Origin, save for the historical ones, and eats every last one. It’s challenging to play grief-stricken without becoming brooding, but Ellis-Taylor plays it with a mastery that few can match while balancing the intellectual component of playing Wilkerson.
Her co-stars Jon Bernthal and Nicey Nash-Betts are also a joy to watch. Bernthal charms you out of your seat, but Nash-Betts is a scene-stealer whenever she shows up and shows she’s probably next in line for a breakout. As Wilkerson’s cousin Marion, she offers something light in a primarily heavy film.
Its source material was one of the few post-George Floyd pieces of substance that genuinely sought to make the most of the focus on equality, and Origin is one of the few still fighting that good fight with more at its disposal. Duvernay and Ellis-Taylor bring some additional humanity to enhance an already incredible human story and make Origin one of the most endearing films you’ll see as well as one of the most important.
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