The most repugnant racist piece of trash I've ever seen

Rating: 3/10 (16 July 2000)

I've already commented briefly on this film, but after reading some of the other comments here I feel it's necessary to say more. It amazes me how anyone can defend this film. Many of the comments here have stressed it's technical achievements, and suggested that it's only fair to view it as a product of it's time, and that's all well and fine, but I think some of you are losing sight of the bigger picture.
It's true that the most controversial movies are often the best. Certainly that's true of many of my favorite movies. But there's a reason why they're often the best and that's because they're often the most insightful and thought-provoking. But the problem here is, as far as being insightful and though-provoking, The Birth of a Nation is about as far from that as you can get. To be totally honest I thought Showgirls was more insightful and thought-provoking. What this movie is is a fantastic piece of racist propaganda that was created primarily to boost the popularity of the KKK and to foster a nationwide feeling of hatred toward blacks.
And that brings me to my central point: PEOPLE WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS MOVIE. Do you people realize that? How can anyone defend a movie that in all likelihood was a prime factor leading to the murders and harassment of hundreds if not thousands of blacks? I hear people here talking about camera angles and filming techniques, and I'm sure the film's all very wonderful in that regard, but I don't think that would have mattered very much to the people who lost loved ones because of this film.
I, as you might have guessed, gave this movie a 1, and I think anyone else that looks at their conscience will have to do the same.