For the last few months, I’ve seen tweets about how Ava Duvernay’s new film, “Origin” made them cry. But while everyone posted their review of the movie, and begged us to see it, no one could actually tell me what “Origin” was about.
Which made me even more hesitant and uncomfortable to watch it.
Of course, the logline online states that it’s about “an author named Isabel Wilkerson who writes her seminal book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” while coping with personal tragedy”. But what TF does that even mean?
If you’re unfamiliar with this author, like moi, this gives us absolutely nothing to go off of.
And while it’s a hard habit to break, one that I’ve been trying to let go of for a while now, I have to be honest — I tend to lean towards watching Black films and TV shows that strive to make me laugh. Entertainment has always been my escape from reality, despite it also being a great tool for teaching us valuable lessons.
So with a vague description and a trailer that gave me nothing compelling, I passed on watching something that could potentially trigger me, multiple times.
I even passed on an interview opportunity with Ava herself, and our lead actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, which of course now I kind of regret.
So I’m here to hopefully convince you not to make the same mistake.
“Origin” Movie Review
Yes, “Origin” is about a Black Pulitzer Prize-winning author, but …
It’s also so much more!
And it seems that everyone keeps forgetting to mention some of the core content of this film.
While “Origin” is primarily a biopic story of Isabel Wilkerson, highlighting her struggles: as a Black writer, as a Black wife in an interracial marriage, and as a Black daughter whose mother wanted her to ‘abide by the rules to stay safe’.
It’s also about an incredible Black woman who uncovered, and exposed, hidden truths about the world we live in today.
Its first few minutes are triggering, as it asks us to relive the Trayvon Martin situation graphically on screen, which sets the melancholy tone of this artfully crafted piece.
But this beautiful film flips from present to past, as it shows us the very stories that help Isabel craft her second book.
While it is incredibly emotional …
… my stomach aches as I think about what I saw as I write this. It’s not as sad as I thought it would be. “Origin” may be a tough pill to swallow, but that’s because it dives into racism, caste systems, and our world’s most disgusting truths.
Having to listen to and watch stories about The Holocaust, slave ships, and learn about the “Untouchables” in India, is incredibly hard. Even if you’re already familiar with some of these stories. Watching it play out before you, can be tough.
But as the universe continues to remind us, change won’t come if we continue to ignore our past. So this is something we ALL need to see.
Plus, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor’s impeccable acting as she beautifully showcases what grief can look like when one goes through multiple deaths in such a short period, doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s one of the things I love the most about this film.
Aside from how artsy the cinematography feels. And it’s her acting that fully captivates me, despite this being such a difficult story to digest.
Also, “Origin” explains how our world issue is caste, not racism as we were led to believe.
And it’s these revelations throughout the film that I find the most fascinating.
We’ve been taught for so long that America was built from racism when the root of our issue has been a hidden system that the entire world has been governed under. Caste. Which is the system of dividing society into hereditary classes.
This class system — as the film, inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s studies — wants us to believe that some of us are superior to others, and has nothing to do with race. If anything, it’s more about capitalism and power, than race.
And “Origin” does a fantastic job bringing this idea to the forefront.
But what’s insane, is that we’ve been taught to believe that racism is the problem for so long, that we’ve actually turned against each other and allowed the real issue to silently spread from generation to generation.
Without ever knowing the real issue, we allowed this mindset of superiority to sink deep into our foundation, and I think that’s the most heartbreaking truth of all.
It’s one that continues to haunt me hours after watching a Black teen be killed because a grown man was “scared for his life” of a child just walking through his neighborhood. After watching a Black woman lose her husband, mother, and cousin back to back, one right after the other — even knowing what grief feels like.
And after listening to a Black mother tell her child that “he should have answered his questions, and told him why he was there because maybe then he’d still be alive” while discussing the Trayvon Martin case. And it’s one that I hope I never forget.
So while “Origin” is nothing like the comfort comedy films I enjoy watching day to day.
It is a film that has opened my eyes to the world around me and allowed me to sit with my discomfort in knowing that we have so much work to do if we want a better world for our children. It’s a film that the entire world needs to watch so that we can begin to fix the cracks in this broken house that we’ve been given — passed down from our ancestors.
And it’s a film that I am grateful that I finally worked up the courage to watch because it is one that will forever change how I see the world.
So while it may make your heart heavy, I beg you to watch it. Sit with your feelings, and let it wash over you, especially if you’re someone like me, who is constantly looking for an escape.
Because then and only then, once we all learn the truth of the world, can we begin to do the hard work to dismantle these systems.
Rating: 5/5