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Plot Summary: The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

Director: Ava DuVernay

Writers: Ava DuVernay, Isabel Wilkerson

Runtime: 2 hour 15 min

• Aunganue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson
• Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton
• Niecy Nash as Marion Wilkerson (as Niecy Nash-Betts)
• Emily Yancy as Ruby Wilkerson
• Jasmine Cephas Jones as Elizabeth Davis

Review by: Samuel

What I Liked

This is an interesting film because the thing I liked most about the film is also something I think can be a dislike- that is, the format in which this story is told. At first glance this seems to be a traditional biopic about Isabelle Wilkerson and her life as she went through the process of writit her book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.”  But that’s not necessarily true. The events in Isabelle’s life do play out, but more in the background. The actual star of this movie is the Caste system itself. What I’m saying is this is less of a traditional biopic with a narrative and more of a documentary. I LOVED it, and I don’t think it’s “bad” but I can see it being a surprise to some.

The entire premise revolves around Isabelle trying to relate some of the most horrible things in history- the Indian caste system, the Middle Passage and slavery, and the Holocaust – to issues she (and we) face today. Her idea is that the caste system is the direct cause of the majority of social issues we as a society face; and that to place the blame solely on racism (as we often do) is short sighted. Hearing these idea come from the mouth of Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor- who portrays Isabelle BRILLIANTLY- is an absolute treat because there’s so much to learn; and whether you agree or disagree with her point, you will sit in your seat in awe at her poignant arguments.

Now, because she is not an expert in all things, she must do research and that is where the documentary feel of the film comes in. Scenes literally open with a person speaking to the camera about how the caste system has impacted their culture and we see flashback scenes/ dramatizations of what he/she is speaking on just as we would a documentary. This happens a lot in the film. So much so that until I see Ellis-Taylors face again, I found myself forgetting this is technically HER story that I’m watching, Again, this is not bad because every bit of information we get is fascinating, educational, and eye-opening.

It also helps that Ava Duvernay handles the transitions from this documentary style back to biopic and vice-versa so well. Between the things going on in Isabelle’s life and her research into caste (which breeds the documentary storytelling), there are about 4 different storylines to keep track of. The fact that you NEVER feel overwhelmed or lost despite the constant transitions says so much about the script, pacing, and direction. Ava Duvernay has been hit or miss for me, but this is definitely a hit.

The only other thing I’ll mention is Jon Bernthal and Niecy Nash add to the cast as Isabelle’s family and they are also phenomenal. As expected, Nash brings levity to a movie that’s sometimes hard to watch and I am happy to see Bernthal show that he’s more than the tough guy I’ve been accustomed to seeing. He is fantastic as thew supportive, well-meaning husband here.

What I didn’t like

I will add the fact that a large portion of the movie is a documentary here just because I feel if you’re not ready for that you may be a bit disappointed (though you won’t be bored). Outside of that one thing bothered me. There were several scenes shot with hand cam (i.e., not on a tripod or gimble) and it was WAY too noticeable; actually to the point of being a distraction from the dialogue. I could nitpick because some scenes seemed to go on too long, some plot points didn’t come to a satisfying conclusion in my opinion, and a scene or two could have been cut. But none of those issues are egregious enough to go into detail.