I’ve yet to absolutely love an Ava DuVernay’s movie, but all have some kind of impact on viewers, especially the target audience. From I Will Follow to A Wrinkle in Time, the filmmaker may not always reach the potential of her premises, but her filmmaking and storytelling styles are undeniably thought-provoking. Origin is based on Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by author Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis), the first African-American writer to win a Pulitzer Prize, following the study that led to the creation of this book as well as personal and family events that marked her life during this process.

The story itself is, without a doubt, the most interesting narrative element of Origin. It’s, in fact, an extraordinarily captivating, tremendously informative, and essentially educational thesis on the surprising connection between racism in the United States of America, the extermination of the Jews by Nazi Germany, and India’s caste system. The film adaptation manages to perfectly transpose the pillars of the source material to the big screen, making clear the difference between race and caste, culminating in a detailed, eye-opening analysis of the interconnection between all these societies.

Origin Critique

I don’t believe I belong to Origin‘s target audience, but as a viewer interested in human history, DuVernay’s movie completely grabbed me for most of its admittedly long, occasionally tedious runtime. The filmmaker’s intention to follow the many temporal-spatial storylines in a non-linear manner is thematically consistent, placing the audience in the exact position of the protagonist as she tries to find the pieces to this complex sociopolitical puzzle. Unfortunately, at the same time, it also feels unfocused by constantly jumping between these different threads, just as the screen time dedicated to the personal section appears to have a less profound connection with the study itself, but it’s vital to create a crucial emotional bond with the viewers.

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Pros and cons of a flick that would probably work better as a documentary, but is also highly effective as a feature film. The performances are nothing short of superb, with Ellis (King Richard) standing out with one of the best performances of the entire Venice International Film Festival and, consequently, of the year. The actress embodies the intelligence and, above all, the humanity that emanates from Wilkerson, showing sincere concern and interest in the people she interviews, as well as her husband, family, and friends who surround her.

There’s shocking imagery throughout Origin, all necessary to convey the real impact of the meaningful messages. The dialogue sometimes slips into a kind of dissertation reading, but overall, DuVernay’s screenplay is characterized by a commendable authenticity. Kris Bowers’s (Chevalier) score is capable of inducing tears on its own, but when combined with the fantastic work of the cast and the tragic events that occur, I would say it’s impossible to remain indifferent. A phone call between Ellis and Niecy Nash (Beauty) – who plays Wilkerson’s sister, Marian – is absolutely devastating.

Jon Bernthal (The Many Saints of Newark) also deserves praise, but I don’t intend to divert attention from the fascinating study carried out by Wilkerson. Origin shines when it manages to explain all the points that justify the author’s intricate research in a simple, accessible way. Whether through conversations with her sister or diagrams and keywords on a whiteboard, DuVernay makes a remarkable effort to construct visual aids and pertinent analogies in order to turn a multi-layered thesis into a broad story that any viewer can understand, without ever sounding pretentious or monotonous.

In Conclusion

Origin brilliantly transposes the pillars of caste from Isabel Wilkerson’s book to the big screen through an incredibly revealing, genuinely fascinating narrative, despite becoming clear that the source material is better suited to a documentary. The exceptionally human performances of the entire cast, especially Aunjanue Ellis, compensate for some lack of balance between emotionally personal dialogues and weighty lectures. Impactful imagery and an extremely stirring score make the audiovisual experience even more captivating. It’s not without issues, but it’s one of the most important stories to watch/read this century.

7/10

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