The Birth of a Nation has a very conflicted legacy. On the one hand, it is the first historical epic in movie history, broke new ground in terms of what could be accomplished in the medium of film, and was the highest-grossing film for 24 years until it was surpassed by Gone with the Wind in 1939. On the other hand, it's one of the most controversial films in movie history because of its racist, fantastical depiction of life in the South during and after the Civil War and its use of white actors (in blackface makeup) to portray African Americans.
In the film, slavery is depicted as a benign way of life for all involved, black people turn wild and dangerous upon being freed, Reconstruction is a giant conspiracy to ruin the lives of white southerners, and the KKK is a group of saviors whose actions are totally justified and necessary.
It seems crazy now, but there was a whole school of thought popular at the time backing up these views. Both the movie and the play on which it was based were banned in various parts of the country. But while the film encountered widespread criticism for its inaccuracies and glorification of the KKK's founding, it also stirred up the racist sentiments of many supporters and influenced the launching of the "second Klan" in 1915. In fact, some of the Klan's modern iconography, such as the white costumes and burning crosses, were inspired by the film and were not a part of the original Klan. KKK membership reached its zenith (around 6 million) in the 1920s, a few years after the film was released. The Klan used the film as a recruitment tool into the 1970s.
The film's legacy as a groundbreaking moment in cinema history is just as great as its reputation for revisionist history. Prior to this film's release, no one believed a film could hold the public's attention for very long, and most films were less than an hour in length. This movie single-handedly proved that the public could and would support feature-length narrative films. Financially, it was the world's first blockbuster. Artistically, D.W. Griffith set standards for effective story-telling that are still in use today. 1915 is considered to be the year modern American cinema was "born". Because of these contributions, you could argue that D.W. Griffith is one of the single most influential figures in the history of cinema.
Viewing this movie generates a lot of questions.....among them, why did Griffith choose this as the story for his then-biggest project? I'm hoping some of my questions will be answered as I watch more of his films. Interestingly, the controversy surrounding this film did not end Griffith's career and he kept making movies until 1931.
Griffith was bewildered by the outrage over the film and it instilled in him a hatred for censorship. Following The Birth of a Nation, Griffith sought to answer his critics with his next feature film, Intolerance. It's considered one of the greatest silent movies ever made, and it's #5 on The List.
This film is available on Netflix.
In the film, slavery is depicted as a benign way of life for all involved, black people turn wild and dangerous upon being freed, Reconstruction is a giant conspiracy to ruin the lives of white southerners, and the KKK is a group of saviors whose actions are totally justified and necessary.
It seems crazy now, but there was a whole school of thought popular at the time backing up these views. Both the movie and the play on which it was based were banned in various parts of the country. But while the film encountered widespread criticism for its inaccuracies and glorification of the KKK's founding, it also stirred up the racist sentiments of many supporters and influenced the launching of the "second Klan" in 1915. In fact, some of the Klan's modern iconography, such as the white costumes and burning crosses, were inspired by the film and were not a part of the original Klan. KKK membership reached its zenith (around 6 million) in the 1920s, a few years after the film was released. The Klan used the film as a recruitment tool into the 1970s.
The film's legacy as a groundbreaking moment in cinema history is just as great as its reputation for revisionist history. Prior to this film's release, no one believed a film could hold the public's attention for very long, and most films were less than an hour in length. This movie single-handedly proved that the public could and would support feature-length narrative films. Financially, it was the world's first blockbuster. Artistically, D.W. Griffith set standards for effective story-telling that are still in use today. 1915 is considered to be the year modern American cinema was "born". Because of these contributions, you could argue that D.W. Griffith is one of the single most influential figures in the history of cinema.
Viewing this movie generates a lot of questions.....among them, why did Griffith choose this as the story for his then-biggest project? I'm hoping some of my questions will be answered as I watch more of his films. Interestingly, the controversy surrounding this film did not end Griffith's career and he kept making movies until 1931.
Griffith was bewildered by the outrage over the film and it instilled in him a hatred for censorship. Following The Birth of a Nation, Griffith sought to answer his critics with his next feature film, Intolerance. It's considered one of the greatest silent movies ever made, and it's #5 on The List.
This film is available on Netflix.
Great, Rachel! Very good overview of the film and the controversy surrounding it. It's the worst great film ever made, and one viewing was enough for me.
ReplyDelete"Worst great film ever made" is the perfect way to describe it. It has 100% on rotten tomatoes! I understand why it's significant....but the plot is still cringe-inducing. I'm glad I watched it, as I now understand references to it much better, but I'm not itching to watch it again any time soon.
DeleteOddly enough, an old theater in my hometown recently showed it on the big screen, so my dad went to see it just a few days after I watched it at home. Weird coincidence.