Groundbreaking, But Very Disturbing Film

Rating: 6/10 (22 April 1999)

The impact that THE BIRTH OF A NATION has had on the motion picture industry is undeniable. D.W. Griffith revolutionized filmmaking technique with the use of the dramatic close-up and cross-cutting as well as other visual devices. The result is a film with a profound emotional impact. Depending on your particular point of view, that emotional impact could range from exhilaration or outrage.
It has been said that Griffith thought he was making a progressive representation of African-Americans compared to THE KLANSMAN, the novel by Thomas Dixon from which the film was based. How naive can someone be? Far from being an accurate representation of African-Americans, this film sought to destroy their image. Black people are depicted as lazy, animal-like creatures. The worst image were those of mulattoes, that here shown as savage people, whose only desire was to rape white virgins. Of course in the end of the picture, the white people are "saved" at the end by the Klu Klux Klan. It's no wonder that the KKK used the film for fundraisers.
One good thing that came out of this film is that African-Americans realized the impact that motion pictures can have on people. This prompted the newly formed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and other groups to protest the film. This lead to the making of THE BIRTH OF A RACE, which was touted as an answer (or antidote) to THE BIRTH OF A NATION. Unfortunately, it was a failed attempt, because the producers of BIRTH OF A RACE needed white money to complete the extremely expensive film, which meant there would be many compromises. It has been estimated that the film (with numerous cost overruns) cost in excess of one million dollars or roughly eight times the budget of BIRTH OF A NATION. The result was a film that dramatized the experience of immigrants to this country, but with African-Americans virtually absent from the finished product.
Even today, some scholars look at THE BIRTH OF A NATION on purely its technical merits, but fail to address the film from a political standpoint. This is very shortsighted. Film is a medium which can have a profound impact on society. Its dramatic presentation and its subsequent socio-political impact go hand in hand. This is true of all films, whether they are dramas, comedies or action films. THE BIRTH OF A NATION promoted a racist view of African-Americans that would be felt for many years afterward. Some would argue that its impact is still felt today.