Suzannah Herbert’s powerful 2018 film Wrestle was one of the best documentaries that year. In NATCHEZ, she again tackles life in the south and the inescapable effects of racism on people’s lives.
It is full of interesting characters and is an engaging watch despite not breaking much new ground. I found it a little cluttered at times and overall not as strong as Wrestle. However, it is beautifully filmed and efforts to downplay the atrocities of the past and the hidden bigotry behind smiling faces are timely topics that are worth exploring. One character’s burst into hateful rhetoric towards the end of the film is particularly memorable.
