History Written in Lightning

Rating: Null/10 (6 May 2000)

After a private screening at the White House, president Woodrow Wilson praised the film as "history written in lighting"; and even though he later repudiated the comment once the film was attacked for its racial content, the remark was widely repeated and taken by D.W. Griffith as the highest of compliments. But Wilson's insight may have been more appropriate than he afterwards thought. Like lightning, Birth of a Nation is a mixture of the beautiful and the fearful.
It is unfair to hold this film up to the standards of contemporary political correctness, and while it's depiction of slavery may be offensive, even Griffith himself proffered a disclaimer as to the film's racial slurs. He aimed to paint the American South during the reconstructionist period with historical accuracy never before attempted on film. As Griffith himself said, "I'm going to use [Birth of a Nation] to tell the truth about the War between the States. It hasn't been told accurately in the history books. Only the winning side in a war ever gets to tell its story."
Those who cry racism at Birth of a Nation are usually guilty of the same ignorance they claim this film suffers. Take the time to learn the filmmaker's intent and the context in which this film was made. Preconceived notions serve no purpose but to cloud a complete understanding of this momentous film.