The Birth of a Nation

Rating:
Summary: One-time classic doesn't stand up today
Review: I watched this film as a film buff who wanted to watch what some consider a classic, that was ahead of its time and offered many revolutionary techniques to the nascent film industry. Well, back in 1915 this was probably the biggest thing going. The hype was probably unimaginable at the time and I've even read that there were several lynchings of African-Americans that were blamed on the film (interesting given the fact we're still trying to blame movies for violence). But when I watched Birth of a Nation I found myself wobbling between boredom and fits of laughter (at it, not with it). Others have called it historically inaccurate but the truth is it is pure white supremist fantasy. Even the Ku Klux Klan would have to look at this and admit it is a little farfetched as reality (albeit desired as their goal I would suppose). Film historians like to talk about the fact that it had the first close ups and the first moving shots and so on as if had this movie not been shot these things would not have been innovated. Others like to say that if you read history books written before 1970 you will find that much of what is represented in the movie is not that far off from what actually happened in the South during Reconstruction. They like to ignore the fact that it is established fact that much of what was taught as history in schools in the United States during the first half of this century was heavily "revised" to portray white, Christian Americans as heroic no matter what. The only historical sense The Birth of A Nation should be viewed in is in the context of the early part of the twentieth Century when racist, misogynistic and anti-semitic views of the world informed mainstream American culture in the extreme not in the context of actual 19th century events. And for anyone looking for truly innovative films from the silent era start with Fritz Lang's Metropolis and Abel Gance's Napoleon. These are true masterpieces that are as good today as they ever were.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent film. A movie years ahead of it's own time.
Review: "The Birth of a Nation" is a film that Hollywood's politically correct liberals would never make today. But all of these people who scoff at this film should study more about the lurid Reconstruction acts that plagued the South for too many years. History revisionists have filled school books today with a fancy (and inaccurate) tale of how Reconstruction helped rebuild the defeated South after the war. They seem to want to withhold information when it comes to how Northern troops oppressed the Southerners, and how carpetbaggers stole and robbed civilians of their property and land. And Southern blacks were also not immune to this outrage. In the War for Southern Independence, they were slaves. During Reconstruction, they became pawns. Easy pawns for Northern Federal troops to exploit while also destroying the pride and faith of the Southern white man at the same time. This movie displays many of the injustices and hardships in which the ex Confederate nation was forced to bow. It clearly displayed how blacks were victims in slavery, yet it clearly showed the unfairness given to whites after the war. Read a history book for more. Obtain an older one printed before the 1970's, not a new revisionist politically correct version full of bleeding heart garble that will never report the true nightmares the Southern white man was cursed with by both Federal troops and many ex slaves.

While perhaps not everything in this film is 100% correct (name a historical movie that is), it does show another point of view of the War and it's aftermath. This made it an interesting movie from beginning to end since it displayed the point of view of the white South. If you have not seen this movie yet, I would strongly advise you to buy it now. Considering how liberal our society functions today, I believe this movie will not be around much longer on video shelves. It will one day share the same sad fate as Walt Disney's "Song of the South".

Rating:
Summary: A great movie, despite controversial content
Review: This is an exciting movie about the Civil War and its aftermath, and, of course, a landmark in film history. The controversy comes from the fact that the movie is told from the standpoint of a early 20th century white Southerner. Although some is it is actually extremely liberal given that viewpoint (Abe Lincoln is one of the movies heros, slavery is considered a great evil in American history), the depiction of Reconstruction does leave some uncomfortable images. Despite the cries of racism about this movie, the true villains of the post-Civil War section are depicted as the white and half-white northern carpetbaggers who dupe the blacks and take advatage of the whites. Notwithstanding, there are some disturbing sequences, particularly those of the KKK rushing to the rescue (in an incredibly exciting sequence). However, for those with an open mind (and perhaps a strong stomach) this movie is an extremely rewarding and entertaining experience.

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding movie, despite the controversial content
Review: This is an excellent, exciting movie. It does make me uncomfortable that the KKK is presented heroically at the end. But the movie does NOT make blacks out to be the villains. The villains according to Griffith are the (white or partly white) northern carpetbaggers (certainly a reasonable premise for a Southerner who grew up during reconstruction). The movie's black characters are presented as being unworldly, but why would anyone expect newly freed, generally poorly educated ex-slaves to be anything but (not very unlike the newly freed Jewish slaves in the Bible). Even the one black who is actually depicted as performing an evil deed does so at the instigation of the carpetbaggers. And for all the Griffith-bashing from a racist angle, the movieclearly and explicitly rebukes the South's treatment of blacks before the Civil War, and makes Abraham Lincoln one of the movie's heros, hardly a popular sentiment among racists in the turn of the century South. Birth of a Nation will certainly not please those who feel that the purpose of art is to validate their politically-correct beliefs. But for those with an open mind, who are not afraid of content which may disagree with some of their political beliefs, this is an incredible film.

Rating:
Summary: WOW THIS IS ONE AMAZING MOVIE!
Review: I recently bought this movie off Amazon.com because it was in the AFI 100 GREATEST MOVIES. This film was ranked number 43 and could have been in the top 25. D. W. Griffith's masterpiece is the first full length move ever made. It has it's controversy though. I truly believe this is one of the best films ever made.

Rating:
Summary: If I could give it zero stars I would have.
Review: This is easily the worst film I have ever seen. I had to see this film for my US History Course, and I was absolutely stunned by its racial stereotypes and historical inaccuracies. Those who feel that the film's racist content must be viewed in a historical perspective are way off base. Racism was as unacceptable then as it is today. This movie made me physically ill and I sincerely hope that none of have to be subjected to it.

Rating:
Summary: If Jesse Helms and Pat Buchanan made movies...
Review: I was curious about this movie. Everyone's heard of it, and when the AFI put it on their list, I decided to check it out. I honestly thought it would be dated and boring, offensive only to activists or Politically Correct Police.

Oh. My. God!! The movie tells the story of the Civil War and Reconstruction from the white supremacists' point of view, defending "civilization" (that word and "civilized" are used a lot) from the freed blacks running amok. The whites find themselves outnumbered and suddenly disenfranchised by black voters, jurors, legislators and business owners. The movie portrays blacks as something like mentally-challenged children hostile to all whites and with a tendency to violence towards women.

There are no sympathetic black characters. The story concerns two white families. Stoneman is a white "Radical" who believes that whites and blacks are equal; he has a mulatto partner (his name is Lynch) who has political ambitions. Stoneman has a daughter Elsie, played by Lillian Gish, who is engaged to a son of the other family. The son helps to found the Ku Klux Klan, and when Elsie finds out what the Klan does, she breaks off their engagement. You know how a lot of silent films have a scene where the heroine is tied to the railroad tracks or in front of a buzzsaw blade? Well, without giving away a lot of the ending, there's a scene where Lynch gets drunk and holds Elsie captive, trying to get her to agree to marry him, so she can be the "queen" of his Black Nation; meanwhile the blacks outside are rioting. Will our heroine be rescued? There's a big, climactic scene with dozens of Klansmen riding to the rescue. Oh. My. God!!

I have to say it gets five stars for historical significance, and five stars for being well-made (it's a long movie, and some parts are kinda slow, with the story not really building until the second half, after Abraham Lincoln dies). But the content is so jaw-droppingly offensive that it pulls the score down. This movie will make you want to write a big check to the NAACP or the Southern Poverty Law Center immediately afterwards. END

Rating:
Summary: Just About Brilliant
Review: Using the KKK as heroes is in astonishingly poor taste. Even then, in much lass enlightened times, Griffin was taken to the woodshed and taken to task. Griffin responded by partially redeeming himself with the overly ambitious Intolerance. That said, the movie itself is brilliantly made. The acting, cinematography, direction and story are perfect. Definately a must watch for anyone interested in film as art or craft.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best films of its time...
Review: I absolutely hate people who purely judge this movie by the amount of racism it conveys. This movie was indeed very innovative and redefined the way filmmakers tell their stories. Racism and hate aside this is without a doubt one of the most influential movies of the century. D.W. Griffith is a genius and masterful storyteller. Check out Intolerance also that movie will blow you away with how complex it was for the time it was made in. But yeah sure if you grade this movie on morality and hate then it gets a 1 star out of 5. Thanks a lot to all those who do not have open minds...

P.S. The Lifetime Achievement Award for a Director in the Oscars used to be named after D.W. Griffith. However, they took his name out just for material his movies were on...for shame

Rating:
Summary: Like It or not, Birth Of A Nation is still a must see
Review: When this film was made in 1914 and released in 1915, America was a different place, it was a time when whites and blacks were at major odds. This was before the civil rights movement and the harlem renaissance, race riots in southern towns were occuring and horrible hangings. So it is understandable how the racist overtones was happening. The blacks were still seen as igonrent, blind and greedy, as was the abolitionists, who were seen as corrupt. And to the south even as late as the 60s, the KKK were considered heros of the white way. I am not a racist, I hate the KKK, however, when watching what was being depicted on screen, was that I was rooting for the "Hero" played Henry B. Walthall. And the KKK, sicking as it may sound that is what made millions of moviegoers call it the greatest movie of all time. It had an exciting edge, to it. It is still the most controversal movie of all time. No other movie in history since has made a movie that showed the blacks in a bad light. And the worst part of it is that it was white actors in black face. I however, got past the sicking racism and was just in awe of what was happening. I am 18 years old. I have seen and loved Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but when I watch this film, just like any other silent film, I put my shoes in to a movie goer from that time period. I did just that with Birth Of A Nation, I pictured my self in a major theater in 1915, seeing only short two reel bit shorts, and sitting there watching the first epic in American history. The second disk is a gem. Particulary the four short D.W Griffth shorts, and a rare interview with the man himself Griffth and Walter Huston in an sound 1938 interview. It was an odd interview. With Griffth remarking " Boy you ask a lot of questions" duh!! But hey give ol D.W his props, he gave our movie grammer. This is the first epic, the first special effects marval, and a true American classic