111 of 1001 Movies: The Birth of a Nation (1915)

The Birth of a Nation is an early epic film that is a silent 3 hour film that chronicles America after the end of the Civil War, and shows racism in a terrifying way. D.W. Griffith shows a very terrifying portrayal of the Klu Klux Klan being the victors over African Americans in the movie as they are showed as being the bad guys for trying to take over whites after the end of Civil War, and the supposed loss of protection from Abraham Lincoln. The movie has ended up being banned from many places, and is a tough watch to get through.

The Civil War causes not only national division, but division among family after the way leaves everyone on different sides, even lovers. As the Civil War escalates it leaves some injured, and others looking for political gain in the rubbish. After the death of Lincoln the South finds themselves losing a means to stand okay in their loss, and panic. As one man, Lynch, see his opportunity to build a place that is mostly ruled by African Americans, the Klu Klux Klan plot to stop him.


It isn't really the fact that it's a 3 hour silent film that gets you, but it's because there is so much controversy around the film that you know where it is headed. Once the racist message gets involved it is really difficult to get past especially when the Klu Klux Klan is portrayed as rescuers after what history has portrayed them as already. They basically ride in as victors over the recently freed slaves that are now plotting to over throw the whites. It seems like a really sensitive thing to tackle for the time.

The movie is probably one of the first of it's kind as far as the full length carried out story especially in a 3 hour format. The music is quite normal, and does match the intensity of the film as we build up toward the ending. It's slower at first, and progresses into a very frantic sound. Also, Abraham Lincoln looks a lot like the real one, and the people do seem to have given a lot of attention to costume, but this leads to another problem in the film and that is the use of "black face". Black actors were not used, and instead white actors painted their faces black for the film. This is a problem in itself on top of the already bad message.

The Birth of a Nation may be one of the first of it's kind in film, but it's an obvious start as far as the bad message, and the lack of moving forward involving racial issues. Instead it seems to be spiraling us even further back before slaves were freed into a world, none of us want to see. It's really a terrifying look at what someone with very racist views might have. On top of that it's sort of embarrassing to see talent go to waste as far as a director who seems to know how to put a story together, but lets it lag in not helping America progress in their views regarding races. It might be one of those movies that gets a lot of talking about, but also wants to be forgotten because it was such a bad portrayal of humanity. Seeing white people painted in "black face" is awkward enough.

Rating 2 of 10.