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| Griffith's film is controversial, but very significant. |
Directed by D.W. Griffith
Produced by D.W. Griffith
Written by Thomas Dixon Jr., D.W. Griffith and Frank E. Woods
Starring Henry B. Walthall, Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh
Plot Summary: The story follows two families during the Civil War and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
Significance: Considered one of the greatest and most influential films of all time, it was featured in the 1998 American Film Institute Top 100 list (at #44) and in the latest Sight and Sound Poll (#323 in the critics poll). It was also placed in the National Film Preservation Board's Film Registry, as an American film of significant merit.
Thoughts: Griffith's epic American tale is not without controversy over its portrayal of African Americans and the Ku Klux Klan, but it's a stunning achievement in terms of filmmaking. Though it's almost 100 years old, it remains a captivating spectacle, particularly after the first hour, which has its ups and downs. The film has several remarkable scenes, like the big Civil War battle, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the final action sequence. Despite the offensive content, Griffith really did a masterful job, especially regarding cinematography and editing. This innovative film might have objectionable material, but its importance in the development of filmmaking techniques is undeniable, which makes it a must-watch for movie lovers. If you can stomach some of the controversial elements, it's a very well-made film that I'd recommend, if only for historical reasons.
Rating: ****
This is the last film in my 2014 Blind Spot Series, as first started by Ryan McNeil.
Very well put. I did my duty as a movie buff and sat through this about a year ago. I admired it for the masterful job Griffith did from a technical standpoint in 1915 and how much this aspect propelled the medium forward. On the other hand, I hated every bit of the content and had to consciously keep myself from turning it off.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendell. Yeah, it's an uncomfortable watch, but an amazing directorial achievement.
DeleteI almost added this to mine, and then went with Man with a Movie Camera instead. Next...next year!!!
ReplyDeleteI put off The Birth of a Nation for years, so I'm glad I finally watched it. Now I need to sit through Intolerance. Hope you like Man with a Movie Camera, which is also a great one.
DeleteThis is a blind spot for me too along with Intolerance. But it is on my want to see list.
ReplyDeleteI try not to let the more controversial elements of older films color my judgement of the movie seeing it as something that was of that time, it's not as if they were going out of their way to be purposely insulting. I'm not always successful, there's one film from the 30's called Love Honor and Behave, starring Priscilla Lane and Thomas Mitchell, that advocates spousal abuse and physical violence in general as a goal to aspire to! Despite my love of the stars I had to turn it off, it was just too vile.
I've been trying to increase my silent film knowledge this year. As with foreign films I usually need some hook to get me there, the star or the film's reputation.
So far I've been doing pretty well. Some of what I've watched this year: The Last Command, It, Wings, Mantrap (I'm a Clara Bow fan), a couple Chaplins and Salome with Nazimova, which was ghastly but fascinating in its awfulness with some amazing set design.
I need to see Intolerance too.
DeleteI try to do the same thing. Yikes! I've never heard of Love Honor and Behave, and I'm surprised they made a film like that. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I am.
Nice. I need to explore more silent films as well. Of those, I've only seen Wings, which was an interesting choice for Best Picture, and probably the Chaplins.
Nice blind spot! I've heard lots of good things about it, but I haven't really gotten to watching it yet. I haven't seen Intolerance either. At some point I may just end up watching all of these older movies at one go rather than wait too long. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I really need to see Intolerance, but I wanted to avoid another long movie for next year's blind spot list, in case I have to watch a film at the last minute.
DeleteI have been putting off this one exactly because of the KKK subject matter, but still I'm curious to check it out because of its cinematic significance. Maybe 2016 blindspot :)
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely worth a look, when you have three hours to watch it. ;)
DeleteAs you know, I also reviewed Birth of a Nation. The assassination of President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre is probably the most memorable scene to me, which I feel works well cinematically. The big Civil War battle for me is a tad overrated and confusing and only make senses with title cards. It's a groundbreaking film, so for the real experience you kind of have to tolerate those title cards and watch it with the eyes of someone in 1915. Agree its importance in the development of filmmaking techniques is undeniable.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Lincoln assassination is remarkable, especially given when it was filmed. The title cards were slightly bothersome at first, but they weren't as noticeable to me in second half of the film. I still can't believe a film like this was produced almost 100 years ago.
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