From “Birth Of A Nation” To “Race”
While Sundance responded to the Oscarssowhite controversy by giving a rousing ovation to Nate Parker’s “Birth of a Nation,” which won’t be seen by the public until late this year, another movie is poised to reap some of the same good will, and it is being released in mid-February. I’m talking about “Race,” which tells the story of African-American sprinter Jesse Owens and his triumphs at the 1936 Berlin games — the ones that Hitler expected to show the dominance of the Aryan race. I’m hearing good things about “Race,” and will write a report of my own over the coming week.