Ava DuVernay's new film, Origin, is a powerful and artistic interpretation of Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
The movie follows Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as she puts together pieces while her life crumbles. It explores how caste impacts human inequality across the globe, connecting the Black experience in America to the Dalits of India and Jewish people in Nazi Germany.
Ava DuVernay's new film, Origin, is a powerful and artistic interpretation of Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. The movie follows Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as she puts together pieces while her life crumbles. It explores how caste impacts human inequality across the globe, connecting the Black experience in America to the Dalits of India and Jewish people in Nazi Germany.
Ava DuVernay is a singular filmmaker who has made her mark in the industry with firsts.
Her second feature film, Middle of Nowhere, won the directing award at Sundance Film Festival where she became the first Black woman to do so. With her third film Selma, she became the first Black woman nominated for Best Director at Golden Globes and was also the first (and only) Black woman to direct a film nominated for best picture at Academy Awards.
Her latest film Origin is an adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson's nonfiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor gives a fearless performance as Wilkerson while she deals with personal and communal tragedy and works through the thesis at the heart of her book.
The film spans decades and crosses the globe, exploring how caste impacts human inequality.
Accuracy
Ava DuVernay's second feature film, Middle of Nowhere won the directing award at Sundance Film Festival where she became the first Black woman to do so.
With her third film Selma, she became the first Black woman nominated for Best Director at Golden Globes and was also the first (and only) Black woman to direct a film nominated for best picture at Academy Awards.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Ava DuVernay's career is filled with firsts when it isn't entirely accurate. While she did make history as the first Black woman to win a directing award at Sundance and was nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes, she has not been the only Black woman to achieve these milestones. Secondly, while DuVernay is described as a fiercely political filmmaker and executive who champions films by contemporary directors of color, there is no evidence in this article that ARRAY has championed any specific or notable films by Black women. Thirdly, the author claims that “Origin” was an inspired adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents when it is not entirely accurate. While DuVernay did adapt the book for film, there are significant differences between the two versions and some critics have criticized her interpretation. Finally, while Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor gives a strong performance in “Origin”, it is not clear from this article how well she portrays Wilkerson's thesis or if the film effectively explores the impact of caste on human inequality.
The author claims that Ava DuVernay's career is filled with firsts when it isn't entirely accurate. While she did make history as the first Black woman to win a directing award at Sundance and was nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes, there are other Black women who have achieved these milestones.
The author claims that DuVernay is described as a fiercely political filmmaker and executive who champions films by contemporary directors of color. However, there is no evidence in this article that ARRAY has championed any specific or notable films by Black women.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The author has a clear political bias and uses language that dehumanizes one side of the argument. The author also quotes Ava DuVernay extensively without providing any context or counter-arguments.
<i>Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor gives a fearless performance as Wilkerson while she deals with personal and communal tragedy and works through the thesis at the heart of her book.</i>
> Picking up a camera for the first time at age 32, she made short films, a micro-budget drama, and a few documentaries before her second feature film <b>Middle of Nowhere</b> debuted at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
With her third film <b>Selma</b>, she became the first Black woman nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes and the first<br><br>
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has conflicts of interest on several topics including film industry and contemporary directors of color. The author is also a pioneer in film history.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has conflicts of interest on the topics of Ava DuVernay and journalism. The article discusses her work as a filmmaker and journalist.
Ava DuVernay's new film is a powerful and artistic interpretation of an academic book that was anything but an obvious candidate for a narrative feature.
The book in question is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, which offers an overriding theory about power and hierarchy and systemic dehumanization in social structures, connecting the Black experience in America to the Dalits of India and Jewish people in Nazi Germany.
Instead of rehashing the facts of the book, DuVernay has turned Caste into an investigative, fictionalized drama that follows Isabel Wilkerson as she puts together pieces while her life crumbles.
The film is a riveting and haunting journey to a kind of enlightenment.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses hyperbole when they describe the book as 'one of the most powerful non-fiction books he'd ever encountered'. This statement is not supported by any evidence and it implies that other non-fiction books are less powerful than this one which is false. Secondly, in describing Ava DuVernay's interpretation of the book, the author uses phrases such as 'powerful', 'artistic', and 'riveting'. These words suggest a level of excellence that may not be accurate or supported by evidence. Thirdly, when discussing Isabel Wilkerson's character, the author describes her as being surrounded by love which is not true to the storyline. This statement suggests a positive outlook on life which contradicts the themes of systemic dehumanization and power imbalances present in the book.
The use of phrases such as 'powerful', 'artistic', and 'riveting' to describe Ava DuVernay's interpretation are examples of editorializing
The phrase 'one of the most powerful non-fiction books he'd ever encountered' is an example of hyperbole
Isabel Wilkerson being described as surrounded by love when she is not in the storyline is an example of deceptive characterization
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses the phrase 'important' and 'vital' to describe the film which is an example of a hype fallacy.
> This image released by Neon shows Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in a scene from <b>Origin.</b><br>
The book in question is <i>Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents</i>, which is an example of an appeal to authority fallacy.
<em>Wilkerson</em> is played beautifully by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who engages with the academic and intellectual inquiries of the film. This statement contains a false dilemma fallacy as it implies that there are only two options: to engage or not to engage.
The author uses an unconventional structure which is an example of a dichotomous depiction fallacy.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Lindsey Bahr has a conflict of interest on the topic of Ava DuVernay's interpretation of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents as she is an author and director herself. She also has a personal relationship with Isabel Wilkerson who wrote the book that inspired Caste.
Bahr also mentions Isabel Wilkerson's book that inspired the movie in a positive way.
Lindsey Bahr, in her review for AP News, praises Ava DuVernay's interpretation of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents as 'a powerful and insightful adaptation.'
Ava DuVernay describes her new movie Origin as a film about Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor exploring how understanding the caste system can deepen our understanding of what Black people experience in America.
The movie opens with a portrayal of the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman.
Ava DuVernay says Wilkerson cited Zimmerman's acquittal as the impetus behind the ideas she would write about in Caste.
DuVernay was warned that Caste was too complex to adapt into a film but with each reading she felt a story emerge more clearly.
Ava DuVernay describes her previous films including Selma, about Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1965 march.
Accuracy
The book in question is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, which offers an overriding theory about power and hierarchy and systemic dehumanization in social structures, connecting the Black experience in America to the Dalits of India and Jewish people in Nazi Germany.
Instead of rehashing the facts of the book, DuVernay has turned Caste into an investigative, fictionalized drama that follows Isabel Wilkerson as she puts together pieces while her life crumbles.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that Ava DuVernay's previous films include the historical drama Selma. This statement implies that her credibility is based on her past successes and not necessarily on the content of Origin.
Bias
(85%)
The author uses the term 'caste' to describe a system of hierarchy and oppression. The use of this word implies that there is an inherent wrongness in such systems, which could be seen as biased.
