FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
After the defeat of the south in the American Civil War, the KKK fights against what it perceives as the emergence of black supremacy.

• African Americans
• Civil War
• Deep South
• D.W. Griffith Films
• Racism
• Silent Films
• Slavery

Response to Peary’s Review:
I love Peary’s review of this groundbreaking yet highly controversial film. He notes that it will “astonish you with its visuals and repulse you with its content”, which sums up my reaction to a T — indeed, I had put off renting this movie for as long as possible, simply to avoid watching an open glorification of the KKK.

Having survived the experience, however, I now believe that every student of American history should watch The Birth of a Nation in order to gain a visceral understanding of the racist ideology once considered appropriate — indeed, obvious — by many Americans. In my Response Review of Sanders of the River (1935) — a pro-colonialist story which depicts African natives as helpless without the guidance of white “elders” — I noted that certain movies are worth viewing simply as a means of understanding the historical distortion so prevalent at the time. The Birth of a Nation qualifies as such a film. As Peary writes, it is “too important to miss, if only to see what once passed as history.” Selected by Movies.com as one of the 25 most controversial films of all time.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An abundance of exciting new cinematic techniques, including cross-cutting, night photography, the “iris shot”, and color tinting
  
• Highly realistic Civil War battle scenes

Must See?
Yes. This film is difficult to watch, but nonetheless required viewing for any true film fanatic.

Categories

• Controversial Film
• Historically Relevant

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• MRQE (Movie Review Query Engine)
• Toxic Universe Review
• DVD Beaver Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• NY Times Original Review
• Film Commentary by CGK
• Greatest Films Review