Southern Propaganda, but nonetheless a good film

Rating: Null/10 (28 December 1998)

The Birth of a Nation is a piece of propaganda for the Ku Klux Klan. When one realizes that this film is a piece of propaganda, and sees it for what it is, one can easily notice the quality of the work. After seeing this movie, I myself was almost tempted to join the KKK and I feel that it is one of the greatest evils in our country (the KKK not the film). Any film that has the ability to do that in my opinion should be seen, but with a warning. Not only did it do it's job in propaganda, but it did so with no sound, nor colorization other than the use of tinting. If one is to see this movie for historical purposes, it is remarkably accurate in the first half, just from a southern aristoctatic viewpoint. The best way to view this film, is with a film equally accurate and propagandist for the other side. Glory is a good example of this. When seen together one can easily look past the propaganda on both sides, and look at the art, history, and stories of both movies without fear of being convinced or offended. As an artistic piece it is marvelous, and in my opinion Birth of a Nation is not so much a piece of Historic fiction, but a Piece of history. It should be viewed as such, and in my opinion be considered required watching in history classes with regards to the period it was made in, and with other movies of equal valor showing the northern views.