Exploring Natchez: A Documentary on Slavery's Legacy in a Small American Town

The latest documentary by Suzannah Herbert, "Natchez", notably portrays the small Mississippi town with a dreamy aesthetic, awash in golden light. Yet, beneath the film's allure lies a stark look at the town's complexity, especially regarding its history of slavery.

The film opens with the town's mayor, during a garden club meeting, declaring his vision for a new Natchez that appreciates all aspects of its history, both commendable and woeful. But his optimism becomes increasingly questionable as Herbert delves deeper into the community's struggle with its past.

Interestingly, Natchez explores how the town profits from its antebellum history, yet grapples with its impressive wealth that stemmed from the cotton business, built on the backs of enslaved people. When an infestation devastated the local economy in the 1930s, the community held landscape tours that later evolved into tours of the elegantly preserved antebellum houses. Today, Natchez is a hotspot for such tours, inadvertently exposing the painful past they inherently represent.

Herbert ventures into the everyday lives of Natchez's inhabitants. Some are homeowners of these historical mansions, others are townspeople attempting to memorialize the enslaved population. Yet, when it comes to openly acknowledging the past, the discomfort is palpable.

The documentary focuses on three main individuals who portray Natchez's contradictions – Tracy, a white woman who avidly supports the traditional southern belle culture; another Tracy, a black Mississippian providing tours that paint a holistic yet haunting picture of Natchez's past; and David Garner, a gay neo-Confederate, who cares for a popular manor, his narrative echoing the town's paradoxes.

The pace of the film parallels the slow rhythm of Southern life, building tension as it progresses towards an insightful peak. With elegance fading to expose unsettling contradictions, the film raises questions about how Natchez, and America as a whole, can truly progress without fully confronting and acknowledging its defining past.