Our Nation's History with Music...

Rating: 8/10 (25 August 2008)

"Birth of a Nation" can rattle any viewer to the core because of both the brazen images that it conjures, but also, made in 1915, it forces the viewer to change the way they watch movies. There are no spoken words, just the loud notes of the orchestra playing "Dixie", or "Star Spangled Banner", or just tunes to carry us to the next scene. This film also depicts the racial tensions of the time rather honestly. Griffith has been marked a racist for his work on this film, the images of white actors playing African Americans, or the depiction of the power of the Klu Klux Klan can rattle any viewer to the core. Isn't that the point? "Birth of a Nation" is not only a stronger, more influential film than "Gone With the Wind", but it challenges the typical popcorn-to-couch viewer. One could show similarities between the two films by saying that there are sweeping landscapes and powerful battle scenes in both films, but Griffith takes it a step further by showing us the history of racism, a.k.a. the birth of a fearing nation. He begins with the Civil War, most specifically two families that were friends prior to the War, but find themselves eventually on dueling sides of the battlefield. It is this brother-against-brother war that fuels the future events of the South. Griffith's film also develops the power of Abe Lincoln throughout these times. It shows his compassion, his desire to unify the country, and to assist in the redevelopment of the South. This, sadly, gives a further reason as to why his assassination took place, and how the North used this to push the South into further disarray.
To modern standards, "Birth of a Nation" is racist. Griffith's depiction of African Americans in the army, voting, and taking office is very difficult to watch in 2008, but there is a moment of truth to his images. The new rule from the North brought too much power to one particular person, thus destroying any level of equality for this already war-ravished nation. In the same vein, Griffith's portrayal of the KKK to today's modern standards is also considered racist. To have an organization, fueled by hatred, be the heroines of the film, is again, difficult to watch in 2008  but Griffith, I believe, sees this and with that final scene of the KKK demonstrates how they have transformed into an entity of hatred, instead of encouraged by change. Griffith credits the birth of the KKK as a group that merely wanted to have a voice in the South, a group that wanted to have equality across the board, so in retaliation, they organized, and the KKK was formed. Having never read "The Clansmen", one does question how detailed Griffith went when pulling source material for his film from this book. Watching how the KKK regains power is necessary to this story, because Griffith is able to take these historically accurate moments and show us where we went wrong. "Birth of a Nation" is a film that points the finger inward, depicting casualties from both the North and South, both white and black, and both rich and poor. The underlining meaning to "Birth of a Nation" is that corruption and evil lurk from all different places and that perhaps the best response isn't the greatest action.
Finally, I would like to end this review by expressing my feelings toward this film. This was an emotional, exhausting, and powerful film to watch. Why it isn't on everyone's "Top Ten" lists is beyond me, outside of the fact that perhaps the depiction of the KKK or African Americans is a bit hard to swallow. I would agree that this film is racist, but in the context of the time, I think Griffith was right to do what he did to create this masterpiece. I am not racist myself, but if I had a child, and wanted to show them a darker side to our great nation, this would be the film I would showcase. Not only does it show racism, but is shows "why". It is a courageous film from its historical basis, but a sad film from its honesty. Everyone should watch "Birth of a Nation", it is a bold entry into not just the world of cinema (the first real epic), but it is one of the few films to really paint a dirty picture of the Civil War. While we all agree that the Civil War (or any war) is unjust, "Birth of a Nation" takes us to next level to show its repercussions.
Overall, I initially had trouble training my eyes to watch a non-talking film. The music was fantastic, the scenes were detailed, and the story captured my attention until the very end. This was a historical epic  surprisingly, an epic that takes you away from you comfort zone. It forces you to root for an evil organization, to shake your head at the images of African Americans, and see the corruption of the North (a side we typically see as sympathetic to the cause). My argument is that this film is a classic  alas, a forgotten classic. While film schools, film geeks, and non-commercial film literature feels that "Birth of a Nation" is considered the ultimate classic, there is a strong majority that fear the message in this film  that fear the images that Griffith has created  thus they push away, and on so many lists of films you will find "Gone With the Wind", a glossier, less engaging film. In conclusion, "Birth of a Nation" is exactly what the title describes. It is the birth of our current society, complete with racism, hatred, confusion, corruption, epic battles, and greed. It is a film that should be catapulted to the top, not forgotten at the bottom.
Grade: ***** out of *****