Great Film that doesn't leave you with a Great Feeling

Rating: 5/10 (27 January 2010)

Let me begin by saying that "The Birth of a Nation" was cinematically a great film. It is truly amazing how J.W. Griffith made this historic film that is nearly a century old feel like a contemporary masterpiece. An excellent use of parallel editing, a complicated series of cuts, and the variety of wide and close shots make this film a must see if you want to see where 'epic' films first began. The color hand painted onto the frames helps set the mood and evoke emotions in the audience. A great example of this is where the scene of Atlanta burning is painted red. The shots of the battle scenes are so grand. It is very evident that so much planning among so many people went into the making of this movie.
This movie also has a high degree of verisimilitude, mainly because it is based on nonfictional events. Because the audience knows the gist of what is going to happen, the director uses the lighting and variation of shots to create suspense. An example of this is the Lincoln assassination, where John Wilkes Booth is creepily shrouded in shadow. The score also adds to the anticipation.
A troubling part of this movie is how it goes beyond being politically incorrect to being downright offensive. Though Griffith gives a disclaimer saying that his intent is to be historically accurate rather than racist, I believe the movie went above and beyond in a negative way. The racism is sickening and the historical accuracy is questionable. The K.K.K. is depicted as being heroic, saving society from the 'black savages'.
Though "The Birth of a Nation" made great strides cinematically, the outright racism made the movie's achievements secondary in my reflection of the movie. The length of the movie, though ground breaking in 1915, was excruciating. Watching this movie is an endurance test not for the faint of heart, especially since the second half of the movie is utterly sickening.