Death of a Nation Reviews

Death of a Nation is a fascinating ride back in time to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, a time that provoked ideologies and debate similar to the ones that surround the presidency of Donald Trump.  Written and directed by Dinesh D’Souza, an American far right conservative, this documentary juxtaposes Lincoln and Trump while also incorporating numerous re-enactments of historical events, and many of the scenes are delicately woven together to encompass the audience in the history. And the acting in these re-enactments is dramatic, believable, and enticing.   D’Souza’s direction and cinematography also stand out as strong points. He demonstrates a very interesting way of breaking from a documentary-style format to completely transform the scene to a specific time period, and he does so one set piece at a time. It is visually captivating and truly a joy to watch unfold before your eyes. For instance, in a clip of an interviewee giving context about fascism in the 1940’s, the frame suddenly begins to transform into a Nazi rally. The stage appears, a roaring audience forms in the center pit, and light posts are planted one by one in the backdrop to illuminate the scene as the interviewee is providing historical context.   It’s very clear that D’Souza, through his film, has a lot to say about the interworking of American politics. Yet, while he makes many points that are worth pondering, he makes an equal amount that are fairly outrageous and even downright erroneous. D’Souza is a proud conservative who believes that there is a parallel between the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump. Specifically, he makes firm efforts to illustrate that the tactics and ideologies of the Democratic Party are similar to those of fascists. This illustration is most apparent is his portrayal and analysis of the assassination of President Lincoln -- his death was a result of his primal desire to abolish slavery in the southern part of America, and these efforts to impact change infuriated members of the Democratic Party of the time.   D’Souza connects that sentiment toward Lincoln with the current sentiment toward Trump – Trump has faced great opposition and criticism, particularly from members of the Democratic party, since his election in 2016.   D’Souza’s aim is to clearly disable beliefs that Trump’s opponents have of him. On one hand, this perspective can be enlightening. On the other hand, it can come across as propaganda, and the comparison of Democrats to Nazis is almost hypocritical when considering the purpose his film.   As a whole, this documentary is genuinely a milestone in the historical genre given its nature and perspective – Hollywood is generally assumed to be more liberal than conservative, and Death of a Nation most certainly goes against the grain in that aspect. There will always be two aggressive ends in politics, and whether you agree or disagree with D’Souza’s perspective, the set-up and delivery of his ideas make viewing this film a truly unique experience.