Other Titles • The Birth of a Nation (1915) • The Birth of the Nation; Or The Clansman • The Clansman • In the Clutches of the Ku Klux Klan • Clansman
Synopses for The Birth of a Nation (1915)
1.
A pivotal moment in film history. After The Birth of a Nation, nothing was the same: not the way audiences watched movies, not the way filmmakers created them. D.W. Griffith's jumbo-size saga of the Civil War expanded the boundaries of storytelling on the screen, conveying a richer, more complicated (and certainly longer) tale than anyone had seen in a movie before. The delicate relationships, the sad passage of time, the spectacular battle scenes all look as fresh and innovative today as they did in 1915. So do Griffith's brilliant actors, most of them--including favorite leading lady Lillian Gish--drawn from his regular stock company. What has become increasingly problematic about The Birth of a Nation is Griffith's condescending attitude toward black slaves, and the ringing excitement surrounding the founding of the Ku Klux Klan. Griffith, whose political ideas were naive at best, seemed genuinely surprised by the criticism of his masterwork, and for his next project he turned to the humanist preaching of the massive Intolerance. Despite protests, Birth sold more tickets than any other movie, a record that stood for decades, and President Woodrow Wilson famously compared it to "history written in lightning." That judgment has lasted. --Robert Horton
(18 votes)
2.
This landmark film from silent director D.W. Griffith was the first movie blockbuster. However, it also reveals a horribly racist version of American history. The first part of the film chronicles the Civil War as experienced through the eyes of two families; the Stonemans from the North, and the Camerons of the South. Lifelong friends, they become divided by the Mason-Dixon line, with tragic results. Large-scale battle sequences and meticulous historical details culminate with a staged re-creation of Lincoln's assassination. The second half of the film chronicles the Reconstruction, as Congressman Austin Stoneman (Ralph Lewis) puts evil Silas Lynch (George Siegmann) in charge of the liberated slaves at the Cameron hometown of Piedmont. Armed with the right to vote, the freed slaves cause all sorts of trouble until Ben Cameron (Henry B. Walthall) founds the Ku Klux Klan and restores order and "decency" to the troubled land. While THE BIRTH OF A NATION was a major step forward in the history of filmmaking, it must be noted that the film supports a racist worldview. But there is no denying that it remains a groundbreaking achievement, setting a high watermark for film as an art form.
(15 votes)
3.
D.W. Griffith's spectacular silent masterpiece is available for the first time on DVD. The most successful silent film ever, The Birth of a Nation remains America's most controversial cinematic landmark. Also included is a 24-minute "making of" documentary detailing the production of the film with rare behind-the-scenes footage and more.
(15 votes)
4.
Lincoln's Assassination - The Fatal Blow that Robbed the South of Its Best Friend
One of the most important and technically advanced films of all time, famed American film pioneer D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation is remembered not only for its brilliant cinematography, innovative editing, and superb acting, but also for its racist portayal of blacks and sympathetic depiction of the Ku Klux Klan.
Recounting the events leading up to an immediately following one of the bloodiest and brutal times in American history, The Birth of a Nation tells the tale of two families deeply divided by the Civil War. The Camerons, from the South, side with Dixie, while the Stonemans, from the North, stand with the Union. In the aftermath of the war, Ben Cameron, a brave yet disillusioned Confederate soldier, creates a covert group of impassioned Southerners called the Ku Klux Klan as an answer to the supposed problem of the rise and rule of blacks and carpetbaggers. Bent on revenge and fueled by angry retribution for the untimely death of his sister, Ben leads his KKK followers in a war to suppress the black threat to white society, ultimately restoring "order" to his beloved South.
(15 votes)
5.
More than 75 years after its initial release, "The Birth of a Nation" remains one of the most controversial films ever made - a landmark achievement in film history that continues to fascinate and enrage audiences. It is the epic story of two families, one northern and one southern, during and after the Civil War. D.W. Griffith's masterful direction combines brilliant battle scenes and tender romance with a vicious portrayal of African Americans. It was the greatest feature-length blockbuster yet to be produced in the United States and the first to be shown in the White House. After seeing it, President Woodrow Wilson remarked it was "like writing history with lightning!"
(15 votes)
6.
This lavish Civil War epic, based on the play The Clansmen and the book The Leopard's Spots by Thomas Dixon, was the first feature length silent film. Gish and Walhall have some of the most moving scenes ever filmed and the masterful battle sequences brought the art of cinematography to new heights.
Birth Of A Nation is still today the cornerstone of the art of filmmaking and brought instant credibility to the entire industry.
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