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As Jon Bernthal appears onscreen from his home in California, I am scanning his spacious living room in search of his three pit bull terriers. While he was primarily known for playing the strong and rugged Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead (from 2010 to 2012, then again in 2018 and 2022), and later as the muscular Punisher in two series and several episodes of Daredevil, the 47-year-old has now become recognized for his activism both on and off screen.
He hosts the podcast Real Ones, in which he engages in conversations with individuals at the forefront of important matters such as police officers, gang members, doctors, and soldiers. He and his brother Nick founded the community empowerment non-profit organization, Drops Fill Buckets, with Nick being an orthopaedic surgeon and professor at the University of California in Los Angeles. His other brother Tom is a business consultant and is married to the former COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg. He also supports pit bulls, a heavily stigmatized breed of dog, and has three as pets.
The individual is not present, however there is a boxing area situated behind him featuring a large punching bag. He mentioned that he trains a group of children from the nearby area, including his own two sons aged 12 and 11, as well as his nine-year-old daughter. They also practice jujitsu at this location. This is the place where all the training takes place.
What an unbelievably cool pursuit, I say – learning the fighting arts with a decorated superhero. “I really feel sports, athletics, competitive fighting: these are a few of the only areas left where everyone is judged by their work ethic, their humility, their grit, their determination, their kindness,” he says. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you look like, who you pray to. We have kids who are dealing with things that my kids have never had to deal with, kids from a much rougher setting. They’re all brothers and sisters.”
He relates this to the movie we are discussing, Origin. He mentions that it is the first film he has worked on that he can bring his children to see. This is not because it is the first film with a pro-social message, but due to its progressive theme and his children’s ages. It is a complex and uncommon movie. It is a biopic of Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson, as well as an illustration of her 2020 book, Caste: the Origin of Our Discontents. The book was seen as a significant contribution to the ongoing issues in the US and was praised by Barack Obama.
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Wilkerson’s argument is that the racism present in the United States is actually a type of caste system. This system is characterized by similar social structures as those seen in Nazi Germany and still seen in Indian society. She uses a detailed taxonomy, known as the “eight pillars of caste,” to illustrate this idea. These pillars include the belief that social hierarchy is determined by a higher power, the passing down of caste status through family lineage, the prohibition of inter-caste relationships and marriages, the notion that the dominant caste is pure and any mixing with other castes is contaminating, the existence of an occupational hierarchy (which has been deeply ingrained in US society compared to its anti-miscegenation laws), the dehumanization and stigma of those in lower castes, the use of terror and cruelty to maintain the caste system, and a belief in the inherent superiority of the dominant caste.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor portrays Wilkerson while Bernthal plays her husband, a kind and somewhat saintly figure. He remarks, “Brett is a man who is always there to make the tea, find the keys, and take out the trash. He is an extremely supportive presence and it’s not often seen in films that the man has that role.”
The unique aspect of the movie is that it only occasionally attempts to connect these concepts to personal narratives. Therefore, much of the excitement stems from discussions among scholars, lectures, or moments of realization for the main character. “It’s a difficult concept to fully understand,” remarks Bernthal.
“How can the message be effectively portrayed in a film without coming across as preachy or forcefully pushing a liberal agenda onto the audience?”
He continues: “We had no contact with Isabel. She blessed the movie, she met with Ava.” (This is Ava DuVernay, who directs – she was the first African American woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe, for Selma, in 2014, so if anyone knows their way around a political biopic, it’s her.)
“Isabel encouraged him by saying, ‘Use your ticket and take ownership of it.'” He commends her for her courageous, selfless, and intelligent choice, recognizing how easy it would be for any of us to share our own tale. He believes this aligns perfectly with Wilkerson’s branding.
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Bernthal praises Ellis-Taylor’s acting skills, calling her his favorite actor and expressing his admiration for her talent. He had the opportunity to work with her on the Williams sisters’ father’s biopic, “King Richard,” and was immensely impressed by her performance.
I admire the boldness of the project as it fearlessly challenges societal norms and presents a thought-provoking message. It asserts that prejudice and bigotry do not have to be ranked in a hierarchy, causing division among its targets. It suggests that there is a connection between past events such as the Holocaust and present-day issues like the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Ultimately, it emphasizes the gravity of acts of terror and cruelty.
I appreciate the political nature of the film, but Bernthal disagrees. He believes that there was no hidden political agenda behind it. “I don’t think this film was meant to covertly promote liberal beliefs. The director, Isabel, purposely avoided adhering to the echo chambers we are often stuck in, which can bring out the worst in humanity by only hearing what we want to hear.” He mentions a scene in which Ellis-Taylor and a plumber wearing a Maga hat initially mistrust each other but then bond over shared experiences of grief.
However, I persist, the film explores the issue of ingrained racism and the systems that perpetuate it – how can that not have political implications? “I don’t believe that equality among races is a political issue. I think people from all political beliefs share this belief. Just imagine what humanity could achieve if we didn’t hold onto prejudiced attitudes. Deep down, we all believe that we are equal. This film highlights how our efforts to divide and separate will ultimately weaken us. And I don’t see anything political about that.” Despite my love for him, I do wish he, like most liberals, would be more forceful and less passive.
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Bernthal is not uncomfortable with politics in the arts. He spent two years living in Moscow from 1999 to 2001, honing his acting skills. During this time, he discovered his passion for acting. He described the energy and vibrancy in Russia’s performance and art scene. His teachers were from a generation where public gatherings were prohibited, so they had to put on shows secretly in abandoned buildings and subway tunnels. Those who attended risked facing imprisonment. Bernthal carries the memories of these people with him. At that time, Putin was in power and corruption was rampant. Despite the lawlessness, Bernthal found Moscow to be a breathtakingly beautiful yet brutal place.
Reworded: Origin was a project driven by passion for everyone involved, particularly for DuVernay. After separating from Netflix, she independently secured the funding for the project. In an interview with CNN upon its release, she mentioned that the film was filmed in 37 days across three continents, produced by two independent black producers without the involvement of a major studio.
“When I first learned about Ava’s solo journey to achieve this goal,” says Bernthal, “I was immediately drawn to be a part of it. I was willing to do anything to support her.” The two met in Savannah, Georgia to discuss the project and ended up having deep conversations about their different experiences in the world as a white man and a black woman. They also discussed the impact of the civil rights movement on their families and how both young African Americans and Jewish Americans fought for the same cause. As they bonded over their shared experiences, they developed a strong artistic connection. Bernthal believes that pain can bring people together, and the film’s exploration of this concept resonated with him. He appreciates the film’s message that comparing and ranking pain is futile.
Source: theguardian.com
