Sundance: ‘Mudbound’ and ‘The Yellow Birds’ examine the toll of war

Actor Garrett Hedlund, from left, director Dee Rees, actor Jason Mitchell, actor Rob Morgan, musician Mary J. Blige and actress Cary Mulligan from the film "Mudbound," in the L.A. Times photo studio during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Saturday.

By Justin ChangFilm Critic

Jan. 23, 2017 8:35 AM PT

Reporting from Park City, Utah — What does it take to create a Sundance Film Festival sensation? The alchemy depends on such a specific and unpredictable combination of factors — the buzz, the talent, the mood of the industry and, yes, the quality of the movie — that it’s a fool’s errand to try to replicate them. That hasn’t stopped any number of filmmakers from attempting to make the next “Little Miss Sunshine,” the next “Precious,” the next “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” Nor has it kept the journalists and buyers in attendance from trying to lay claim to the same discoveries.

This year’s festival has produced a rare reversal of this phenomenon: No film here wants to be the next “The Birth of a Nation.” Writer-director-star Nate Parker’s powerful, problematic slave drama drew a rapturous reception at last year’s Sundance (full disclosure: I was a contributor to that reception), where it was lauded as a breakthrough for an industry still reeling from the #OscarSoWhite controversy. It opened months later to more mixed reviews and intense controversy over the rape accusations leveled against Parker during his college days.

This year’s festival-goers will almost certainly be more cautious about anointing a new favorite. Still, that didn’t keep a tide of critical hosannas and wretchedly premature Oscar predictions from streaming out of Saturday night’s Premieres screening of “Mudbound,” an ambitious, superbly acted epic of racial discord from the director Dee Rees, whose accomplished feature debut, “Pariah,” screened at Sundance in 2011.

FULL COVERAGE: Sundance 2017 »

Adapted from Hillary Jordan’s novel, “Mudbound” sketches a vivid, dirt-under-the-nails panorama of 1940s Mississippi farm country, centered on the tightly bound interactions between a white couple, the McAllans (Jason Clarke and Carey Mulligan), and the Jacksons, a family of black sharecroppers (played by actors including Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan and Jason Mitchell) who work on their farmland. Rees intersperses the voice-overs of multiple characters throughout, a technique that takes some getting used to. But it also pays off with a richly nuanced understanding of the sheer pervasiveness and variety of racist attitudes in the Jim Crow era.

However it fares from here, critically and commercially, “Mudbound” will not be this year’s “The Birth of a Nation” — a reductive comparison that says more about the dearth of black stories told by black filmmakers than it does about either movie. As in “The Birth of a Nation,” the anger surging beneath “Mudbound” is palpable, but if Rees’ film is a richer achievement than Parker’s, it’s because she knows how to modulate and complicate that anger.

The chief complication here is World War II, and if there’s something schematic about the way Rees cuts between Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell) serving their country abroad, her point could hardly be more bracing: In a world where not all men are deemed equal, war is the great equalizer. So, too, is post-traumatic stress disorder — an affliction that, as both Ronsel and Jamie can attest, is entirely colorblind.

The toll of war on the male psyche also figures heavily in “The Yellow Birds,” a somber, harrowing Iraq War drama that premiered Saturday in the festival’s U.S. dramatic competition. While there are innumerable echoes here of American war films, from “Full Metal Jacket” to “The Hurt Locker” and “The Messenger,” perhaps the most direct analogue here is Paul Haggis’ “In the Valley of Elah,” which used a soldier’s sudden disappearance to deliver a withering assessment of America’s motivations for invading Iraq in the first place.

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John Lithgow and Salma Hayek from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”

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Director and actress Michelle Morgan from the film “L.A. Times.”

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Director Dan Sickles, left, director Antonio Santini and director of photography Adam Uhl from the film “Dina.”

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Director of photography Adam Uhl from the film “Dina.”

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Director Danny Strong, left, actor Nicholas Hoult and actress Zoey Deutch from the film “Rebel in the Rye.”

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Actress Lois Smith from the film “Marjorie Prime.”

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Actor Jon Hamm from the film “Marjorie Prime.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Mark Hamill from the film “Brigsby Bear.”

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Actor Nick Offerman from the film “The Hero.”

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Director Jovanka Vuckovic from the film, “XX.”

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Actress India Menuez from the Amazon series “I Love Dick.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Laura Prepon from the film “The Hero.”

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Actor Sam Elliott from the film “The Hero.”

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Director Annie Clark (also known as the musician, St. Vincent) from the film “XX.”

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Director Joshua Z. Weinstein, left, and Menashe Lustig from “Menashe” at the Sundance Film Festial in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 23.

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Actor Martin Donovan, left, actress Julia Ordmond, director Mark Palansky and actor Peter Dinklage from the film “Rememory.”

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Actress Madeline Weinstein from the film “Beach Rats.”

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Ryan Horrigan, left, Paul Raphael, Felix Jajeunesse and Sebastian Sylvan from the film “Miyubi.”

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Actor Harris Dickinson from the film “Beach Rats.”

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Director Eliza Hittman from “Beach Rats.”

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Actresses Nefessa Williams, left, Adriyan Rae, Steve Harris, Seryah and Imani Hakim from the film “Burning Sands.”

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Actor Jon Daly, left, director Janicza Bravo, actress Judy Greer, actress Shiri Appelby and actor Brett Gelman of “Lemon.”

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Director Julia Ducournau from the film “Raw.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Anya Taylor-Joy, director Cory Finley and actress Olivia Cooke from the film “Thoroughbred.”

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Director Matt Heineman, second from right, and citizen journalists Mohamad Almusari, left, Hamoud Almousa and Abdalaziz from the documentary film “City of Ghosts.”

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Subjects Raj Majethia and Victoria Harrelson from the documentary film “The Mars Generation.”

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Subject Raj Majethia, left, director Michael Barnett and subject Victoria Harrelson from the documentary film “The Mars Generation.”

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Actor Adam Horowitz, left, actress Emily Browning, director Alex Ross Perry and actress Analeigh Tipton from the film “Golden Exits.”

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Director Wally Wolodarsky, left, actor Jack Black, actress Jenny Slate, director Maya Forbes, actress Jacki Weaver and actor Willie Garson from the film “The Polka King.”

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Director Rory Kennedy and surfer Laird Hamilton, from the documentary film “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton.”

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Actress Julia Jones from the film “Wind River.”

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Actress Kelsy Asbille from the film “Wind River.”

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Director Kogonada from the film “Columbus.”

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Actor Rory Culkin, left, actor John Cho, actress Michelle Forbes, actress Haley Lu Richardson and actor Parker Posey from the film, “Columbus.”

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Director Taylor Sheridan from the film “Wind River.”

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Actress Gigi Gorgeous and director Barbara Kopple from the film “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous.”

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Actress Gigi Gorgeous, from “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous.”

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Executive Producer Danny Glover, left, and director Yance Ford from the documentary film “Strong Island.”

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Actor Sam Elliott, left, actor Nick Offerman, director Brett Haley, actress Katharine Ross and actress Laura Prepon from the film “The Hero.”

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Co-Executive Producer Sarah Gubbins, left, actor Griffin Dunne, actress India Menuez (kneeling), actress Roberta Colindrez, actor Kevin Bacon, director Jill Soloway, actress Kathryn Hahn and Lily Mojekwu from the Amazon series “I Love Dick.”

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Actress Kathryn Hahn, actress Roberta Colindrez and director Jill Soloway from the Amazon series “I Love Dick.”

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Actor Jason Isaacs and Crash from the film “Red Dog: True Blue.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Sasheer Zamata, director Sydney Freeland, actress Danielle Nicolet, actor David Sullivan, actress Rachel Crow and actress Ashleigh Murray, from the film “Diedra and Laney Rob a Train.”

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Actor Daniel Houck and director Stefan Avalos from the documentary film “Strad Style.”

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Actor Jeremy Renner from the film “Wind River,.”

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Actress Chloe Sevigny from the film “Golden Exits.”

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Actor Jack Black from the film “The Polka King.”

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Surfer Laird Hamilton, subject of the documentary film “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Julia Jones from the film “Wind River.”

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Actress Kelsy Asbille from the film “Wind River.”

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Actress America Ferrera from the new Web series “Gente-fied.”

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Director Miguel Arteta from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”

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Actress Connie Britton from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”

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Actress Salma Hayek from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”

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Actor Jay Duplass jumps behind writer-director Gillian Robespierre, actress Jenny Slate, actress Edie Falco and actress Abby Quinn from the film “Landline.”

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Actor Blake Jenner, actor Logan Lerman, actress Elle Fanning and actress Michelle Monaghan from the film “Sidney Hall.”

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Actress Natalie Paul, left, actor Lakeith Stanfield, screenwriter Matt Ruskin and actor-producer Nnamdi Asomugha, from the film “Crown Heights.”

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Actress Judy Greer, left, actor Woody Harrelson and actress Laura Dein, from the film “Wilson.”

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Actress Isabella Amara, from the film “Wilson.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Josh O’Connor, left, director Francis Lee and actor Alec Secareanu, from the film “God’s Own Country.”

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Jaque Fragua, director Michelle Latimer, center, and Sarain Carson-Fox, from the documentary film “Rise.”

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Director Amir Bar-Lev, left, Steve Parrish and Trixie Garcia, from the documentary film “Long Strange Trip.”

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Actress Connie Britton, from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor-producer Nnamdi Asomugha, from the film “Crown Heights.”

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Director Andrew Dosunmu from the film “Where Is Kyra.”

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Actor John Lithgow, from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Director Shawn Christensen from the film “Sidney Hall.”

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Actor Garrett Hedlund, director Dee Rees, actor Rob Morgan, musician Mary J. Blige, and actress Cary Mulligan from the film “Mudbound.”

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Geremy Jasper, director and writer of the film “Patti Cake$.”

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Actress Danielle Macdonald from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Nicholas Hoult from the film “Newness.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Siddharth Dhananjay from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Mamoudou Athie, left, actress Cathy Moriarty, actor Siddharth Dhananjay, director-writer Geremy Jasper, actress Bridget Everett and actress Danielle Macdonald from the film “Patti Cake$.”

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Director Evgeny Afineevsky and subject Kholoud Helmi from the HBO documentary film “Cries From Syria.”

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Subject Marli Renfro and director Alexandre O. Philippe from the documentary film “78/52.”

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Actress Cathy Moriarty from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Bridget Everett from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Nicholas Hoult and director Drake Doremus from the film “Newness.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Ben York Jones, screenwriter of the film “Newness.”

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Actress Aisha Tyler, who participated in the Women’s March through Park City.

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Rashida Jones, Jill Bauer, and Ronna Gradus of the film, “Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On.”

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Co-writer Justin Lader, Director Charlie McDowell, and Alex Orlovsky of the film, “The Discovery.”

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Actor David So of the film, “Gook.”

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Actor Fares Fares of the film “The Nile Hilton Incident.”

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Director Tarik Saleh of the film, “The Nile Hilton Incident.”

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Director Dee Rees of the film “Mudbound.”

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Director Jim Strouse of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”

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Actor Tye Sheridan of the film, “Yellow Birds.”

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Actress Pom Klementieff of the film, “Ingrid Goes West” and “Newness.”

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Actor Jack Huston of the film, “Yellow Birds.”

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Actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer and Director Helene Hegemann of the film “Axolotl Overkil.”

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Co-Director Sabbah Folyan, Kayla Reed, Tef Poe, Co-director Damon Davis of the documentary film, “Whose Streets.”

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Actress Elizabeth Arjok, actor Fares Fares, director Tarik Saleh, actress Hania Amar, and actress Mari Malek of the film, “The Nile Hilton Incident.”

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Roxanne Shanté, and actress Nia Long of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”

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Actor Michael Larnell, actress Chante Adams, Roxanne Shanté, actor Elvis Nolasco, and actress Nia Long of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”

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Director Morgan Neville, Cristoph Neimann, Tinker Hatfield, and Scott Dadich of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”

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Cristoph Neimann of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”

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Director Morgan Neville of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”

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Scott Dadich of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”

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Actress Omono Okojie of the film “Gook.”

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Actor Curtiss Cook Jr., and actress Simone Baker of the film “Gook.”

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Actress Brittny Snow and actor Dave Bautista of the film, “Bushwick.”

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Director Austin Peter of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”

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Actress Cary Mulligan of the film “Mudbound.”

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Director Lone Scherfig of the film “Their Finest.”

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Director Alexandre Moors of the film, “Yellow Birds.”

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Actor O’Shea Jackson Jr., actress Aubrey Plaza, director Matt Spicer, and actress Pom Klementieff of the film “Ingrid Goes West.”

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Richard Vevers, Director Jeff Orlowski and Zackery Rago of he film, “Chasing Coral.”

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Actress Chelsea Handler.

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Director Austin Peters, musician Jillionare, and singer/songwriter Diplo, of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”

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Singer/songwriter Diplo, Thomas Wesley Pentz of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”

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Musician Jillionaire of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”

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Actor Lakeith Stanfield of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”

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Actor Chris O’Dowd of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”

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Actress Jessica Williams of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Aubrey Plaza of the film, “Ingrid Goes West.”

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Actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. of the film “Ingrid Goes West.”

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Actress Jessica Williams of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”

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Actress Mari Malek of the film “The Nile Hilton Incident.”

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Actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer of the film “Axolotl Overkil.”

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Executive Producer Tim Robbins and his son, Director Jack Henry Robbins, from the short “Hot Winter, A Film By Dick Pierre.”

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Actor Michael Larnell of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”

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Actor Garrett Hedlund of the film “Mudbound.”

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Executive Producers Christopher Cohen, Sean Hayes, Mark Herzog (kneeling) and Todd Milliner of the CNN series, “History of Comedy.”

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Executive Producer Sean Hayes of the television series, “History of Comedy.”

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Actress Nia Long of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”

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Actress Simone Baker of the film, “Gook.”

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Actress Elizabeth Arjok of the film, “The Nile Hilton Incident.”

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Roxanne Shante of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”

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Actor Elvis Nolasco of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”

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Jack Henry Robbins, from the short, “Hot Winter, A Film By Dick Pierre.”

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Actress Mari Malek of the film “The Nile Hilton Incident.”

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Actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer of the film “Axolotl Overkil.”

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Actress Maya Stange, director Damien Power and actor Aaron Glenna from the film “Killing Ground.”

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Actress Tavi Gevinson with the film “Person to Person.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Dolores Huerta from the documentary “Dolores.”

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Director

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Actor Jorma Taccone from the film “L.A. Times.”

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Actor Aaron Glenane from the film “Killing Ground.”

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Actress Kate Micucci with the film “The Little Hours.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Dree Hemingway with the film “L.A. Times.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Directors Andrew Smith and Alex Smith with the film “Walking Out.”

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Actress Molly Shannon from the film “The Little Hours.”

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Actor Jason Ritter with the film “Bitch.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Lauren Weedman, actor Jon Gabrus, actress Kate Micucci, director Jeff Baena, actress Alison Brie, actor Dave Franco, Adam Pally and actress Molly Shannon with the film “The Little Hours.”

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Actor Dave Franco with the film “The Little Hours.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress/director Michelle Morgan and actors Jorma Taccone and Dree Hemingway from the film “L.A. Times.”

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Director Marina Zenovich of the film “Water and Power.”

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Actress Abbi Jacobson with the film “Person to Person.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Florence Pugh and director William Oldroyd from the film “Lady MacBeth.”

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Producer Ryland Aldrich, from the film “L.A. Times.”

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Actress Maya Stange with the film “Killing Ground.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Front: Actors Kingston Foster and Jason Maybaum; back: actors Rio Mangini Jason Ritter and Brighton Sharbino from the film “Bitch.”

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Actress Kingston Foster, director Marianna Palka, actress Brighton Sharbino, actor Rio Mangini, actor Jason Ritter, actor Jason Maybaum, actress Jaime King and actor Zac Clark with the film “Bitch.”

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Director Marianna Palka with the film “Bitch.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Brighton Sharbino mingles with the rest of the cast of the film “Bitch.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Director Amanda Lipitz, center, and step team members, from left, Tayla Solomon, Cori Granger and Blessin Giraldo from the documentary “Step.”

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Directors Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen with the film “Follow Up to An Inconvenient Truth.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Producer Carlos Santana with the film “Dolores.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Team members, from left, Tayla Solomon, Cori Granger and Blessin Giraldo from the documentary “Step.”

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Director Kristen Stewart and actor Josh Kaye with the film “Come Swim.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Actress Zoe Kazan with the film “The Big Sick.”

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Joshua Wong and director Joe Piscatella with the documentary “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower.”

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From left, producer Barry Mendel, actress Holly Hunter, director Michael Showalter, actress Zoe Karan, writer Emily V. Gordon, writer Kumail Nanjiani, and producer Judd Apatow with the film “The Big Sick.”

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Husband and wife co-writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon from “The Big Sick.”

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Consulting Producer Benjamin Bratt of the film “Dolores.”

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Director Kristen Stewart of the film “Come Swim.”

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Actress Holly Hunter with the film “The Big Sick.”

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Actor Logan Miller, actress Cynthy Wu, director Ry-Russo Young and actresses Zoey Deutch, Elena Kampouris, Medalion Rahimi and Jennifer Beals, from the film “Before I Fall.”

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Actress Zoey Deutch, from the film “Before I Fall.”

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Actress Medalion Rahimi, from the film “Before I Fall.”

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Actress Elena Kampouris, from the film “Before I Fall.”

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Actress Jennifer Beals, from the film “Before I Fall.”

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Actress Cynthy Wu, from the film “Before I Fall.”

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Actor Logan Miller, from “Before I Fall.”

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Actor Miles Fischer, from the television show “Playdates.”

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Composer Dan Romer, from the films “The Little Hours” and “Chasing Coral.”

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Director Jamie Greenberg, who’s at Sundance with the film “Future ’38.”

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Directors Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, with the documentary “Trophy.”

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Peter Nicks director of the documentary film “The Force.”

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Composer Dan Romer, attending Sundance with the films “The Little Hours” and “Chasing Coral.”

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Actors Paul Scheer and Carla Gallo, from the television show “Playdates.”

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Actors Paul Scheer, left, Carla Gallo and Miles Fisher, from the television show “Playdates.”

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Although not as politically charged as “Elah,” “The Yellow Birds” also takes the form of a detective story, albeit one in which the mystery is as drearily protracted as it is ultimately unpersuasive. A soldier named Daniel Murphy (Tye Sheridan) has gone missing in Iraq, to the despair of his mother (Jennifer Aniston, who also served as executive producer). Only Brandon Bartle (a fine Alden Ehrenreich), Daniel’s closest Army buddy and the movie’s protagonist, knows what really happened. He reveals it in a series of sluggish, calculated flashbacks that are meant to explain Brandon’s own hopeless descent into PTSD, but instead wind up stalling the movie’s momentum.

“The Yellow Birds” is the latest feature directed by the French filmmaker Alexandre Moors, whose superior debut, “Blue Caprice,” screened in Sundance’s Next section several years ago. In both films he displays an artful eye and a keen fascination with process, showing how a seemingly ordinary chain of events can precipitate terrible acts of violence. What worked so harrowingly well in his first film causes him to falter in his second: a principled urge to explain the inexplicable.

[email protected] | Twitter: @JustinCChang