Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-26
AMUo DEMENT'S
PIIOTODRAMA
Is HISTORY OF 4 PERIOD

Looking at it merely as n Spectacular
motion picture. no man can view The
Birth OF a Nation without being stirred
and thrilled to the marrow Of his bones;
looking at il as 81 rctclling. in living
scenes and figures. Of chapter of
American history, no Southern man can
see IL without a lump in his throat
on" moment. a blaze Of vicarious re-
sentiment in his heart the next. and "A
glow Of undying pride racing through
his veins always.
II is a motion picture, Il great motion
picture, 50 great that all others shrink
and pale before it. For acting. action
spectacle. scenery, lighting and ,ho-
Biography. il is the last word in the
art Of producing silent drama and
doubtless will remain the last word for
many "A year. But 1t is "A vast deal
more than that: 1t is vivid and en-.
,hralling presentment OF a period. And
this prcsentment is so fashioned that
1T inpresses itself upon the spectator
as all the reading in all ne years could
not impress him. Not even the first
hand Information that this generation
IL old enough to have gathered from
It's fathers and mothers has seemed
half so real, SO alive, us the splendid
and hideous incidents thrown upon the
screen during the progress OF this Won
dcrful narrative.
AS to the wisdom, the advisability.
the desirability. Of making the blackcr
pages of this chapter tell themselves
again. the same question arises as was
presented by the production and revival
Of Thomas DiNon's the Clansman"
and that is for others to determine not
"a play reviewer. Certainly. there can
bc no reason for police interference.
There is not an immoral scene in tho
whole twelve reels, ana, though the
picture tells q fearful tale OF things as
they were in the dark days OF recon
Struction in the farther South. il OK
agGcrates them very little, if AT all
For witness to this. one need not CON
fine himself to the sensational Mr.
Dixon and his THE Clansrnan." but
need turn only to Thomas Nelson Pages
Red Rock" for instance.
The first part Of the phOtodrama is
not much out of the ordinary: il shows
a pretty little story OF friendship be-
tween two families. one of the North
and the other of the South Love
springs into being, ripens and blooms
And then comes the War, and with IL.
the picture becomes tremendous, over
whelm'ng. The earlier scenes have
laid the foundation on which is based
! the horror of friend killing friend. and
this is sustained in order to form a
continuous narrative. But the Incl
dents, the plimpses Of Individuals are
almost lost sight of in the clashing
laundering immensely OF the battle
scenes, which far surpass, in size, real
ism and actual danger, anything of
the character ever shown on film.
Yet, even in the midst of these huge
canvcses. man, deed, Il moment,
stands out here and there When the
audience that filed the Academy Of
Music last night saw the Little Colonel
AS Ren Cameron OF The ClanSman"
Is known--lead his charge stumble and
| fall pick up the battle Ilag, rush up
to the mouth of the cncmy'S cannon
and literally ram its STAFF down the
lannon's thu oai before he fell. IL yelled
in Il manner that would have thrilled
such "a little colonel atty years ago.
There is NOT spacc-in one review
10 dwell on the appearance OF Mr..
Lincoln, which, by the way. was
greeted here in Richmond with salvos
I of applause. learned long ago by peo-
pie q! the South: there is room only
! to mention the GREATNESS realism of
! The scene in Ford's Thcatcr, when lie
was murdered by mailman: there is
time only 10 refer to the Stoneman of
the play the eNecrated stevens OF the
day. For the play rush-s into the hear,
OF thu South, infested by carpctbagScrs.
torn by misrule and trod beneath the
feet Of the vcngcful and vilainous.
And from that point up TO the end.
except FOR some closing allecurcal
sceucs and Il biz of anticl.ma cite cdu-
cntional iilm. the story is The Clans
man ampiihed, elaborated and intcn-
! si!ed. almos; beyond the point OF en-
durance. The rule Of the carpetbaG