The Birth of Modern Film-making

Rating: 10/10 (15 June 2005)

I can't believe I sat through a silent, black & white, three-hour long epic from 1915. I felt as though I was peering through a time-capsule at a far distant past. The content troubled me, seeing blacks portrayed as weird, predatory, and primitive, attacking innocent and helpless white women and children. The film makes the audience root for the Ku Klux Klan because they're portrayed as heroic. I almost began cheering them on too and felt guilty in doing so. It felt like racist propaganda. But it's fascinating how a film has complete control over its audience simply by how the director paints a scene. The music, the silent acting, lavish detail all helped generate emotion and as a result I was glued to the screen. Brilliant.