Directed by Suzannah Herbert, a look at the American South’s unreconciled history through Natchez, a Mississippi town that mixes antebellum tourism with a community deeply divided over its past.
It speaks to the ingenious way that Suzannah Herbert captured Natchez in that there are people you could happily listen to talk about the history and community for hours, and there are also people whose language makes you feel physically ill and outraged. Being able to walk into such a divided town with such wildly different viewpoints on a horrific period of history, and have both sides speak in such a relaxed manner is genuinely impressive. Granted, you’re just asking everyone to give their natural opinion and perspective, but in this day and age to see people be so openly prejudiced is still a little bit shocking, even though it’s not at all surprising. To have that juxtaposed with the facts being presented by those with respect and consideration is a fascinating experience.
It even opens on such a clear instance of irony, to have a white mayor basically talk about equality, to a room full of wealthy older white women, while the only server is a Black woman. There are so many parallels with the prejudices of the people of Natchez with the issues plaguing the entire country today. One that particularly stands out, especially given recent events in Philadelphia removing exhibits teaching about slavery, is having that attitude of ‘why teach people about history that’s upsetting? Why do we want to remind people of bad times?’ It’s such an infuriating and ignorant point of view, but one that is becoming pervasive.
Something that makes it equally as satisfying, as the other side is upsetting, is to see people like Tracy “Rev” Collins, Deborah Cosey and Kathleen Bond demonstrating why it’s so important to keep teaching people about the history of Natchez. How they gracefully put up with so much push back and insulting behaviour from the racist members of the community, and just keep on fighting and educating, it’s a wonderful thing to see. They set the example for what the world needs universally, people who respect the past, recognise we cannot ignore egregious actions and that we must learn from them.
It’s such a strong concept to begin with, and the subjects were well chosen, but Natchez is strengthened further by Suzannah Herbert’s directorial style. There’s an almost surreal quality to it, some scenes even feel like they’ve been pulled from a Jordan Peele picture, it’s very well done. The visuals themselves are also excellent, there’s strong, impactful imagery all throughout the film, and all of the choices feel very intentional. It creates this strangely charming quality which is beguiling to watch unfold.
Natchez is a fascinating documentary exploring how different members of the community view history very differently. To see that vast divide between the people celebrating the opulence of the white population of the town, and the people trying to educate on the slavery and abhorrent abuse against the Black population, is exactly what you’d expect and yet still an enthralling, eye-opening experience. It’s like a microcosm of the key issues America faces today, with everyone’s opinions laid out plainly and casually. That natural style and constantly cutting back and forth between the divide was such a smart move by Suzannah Herbert. It’s a very well made film, and an unforgettable watch.
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