Dare we dream of a golden day when the bestial War shall rule no more.

Rating: 8/10 (5 April 2009)

It was an epic when it was made, and still a work of art in cinema history.
The first part show the "gentile" South and the war. It was romanticized to the extent that brother was fighting brother, friend was fighting friend, and in meeting during the war, they remained friends. Nice, but probably not accurate. Still, it made for a good story.
The second half is filled with controversy as the Carpetbaggers invade the South and establish Black rule that is designed to crush the Whites until the Golden Knights of the Ku Klux Klan save society to live in peace. This is the story as presented, not an interpretation.
Despite the historical inaccuracy, it it still a magnificent work with amazing performances by Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Henry B. Walthall, George Siegmann, and others. It is hard to believe that words are not needed to display feelings.