Almost as good as Gone With the Wind!

Rating: 10/10 (8 June 2001)

The Birth of a Nation is one of the most forgotten films ever made, and this is true, you can see, because of the fact that this film has as many memorable scenes and emotional/patriotic intensity as 1939's epic classic Gone With the Wind. Even though this movie is silent, The Birth of a Nation instigates the viewer to see a modern war masterpiece using old-fashioned cinematography to create a surreal environment. The cinematography in parts is wonderful and uses great use of color for war scenes and racial discrimination. The movie's validity on the fairly obscure subject of the racial discrimination in the years following the Civil War are intriguing and nearly addictive to watch. ***POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD*** Throughout the 3 hour 9 minute epic, the only part that there is to complain about is the first thirty to forty-five minutes. In these minutes, the film presents too many characters to keep up with, too much action begins to occur before the audience is familiar with the future romance-plotline, and afterwards, becomes dull and boring. However, after this "black-hole", the movie becomes a non-stop romantic/drama/war masterpiece that still should be referenced to today. The Birth of a Nation is definitely worth at least one viewing.