It is what it is

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2012)

All racism and hilariously bad black face make up aside, this movie is the epic story of the post Civil War south that it claimed to be. It is the earliest film I've seen that successfully tackled such a long and complex, yet easy to follow, plot. It kept me interested in the story, which is quite an accomplishment, especially without the use of any spoken dialog whatsoever. Despite how despicable it's ideas are, it is a brilliantly told story of War, Reconstruction, and the men who set out to save their way of life. Love it or hate it, this was the first epic film, and the effort put into every last detail of it's immense scope is certainly something to be admired. It is a film which has been wrongly ignored and hidden from modern movie goers, who are, apparently, too sensitive to take the subject matter. The same can be said for the director, DW Griffith, who should rightly be a household name, but is instead unknown or forgotten to most people under the age of 70. So, it is what it is: A film to be watched and remembered by anyone who is fascinated by early cinema, and those who are interested in history, but do not wish to dwell on it.