New Ulm review., 1916-03-29
CLANSMBN SCENES
THRILL AUDIENCE
THE BIRTH OF A NATION MAS
TERPIEcE OF MOVIE PRO-
DUCTIONS.
REALISTIC CIVIL WAR, ANTE
BELLUM AND RECONSTRUCT
.TION SCENES.

.TION SCENES.
Beautiful yet terrifying, weird and
awe-inspiring, based upon actual facts in
the life of the Nation, interviewer with
scenes of mothers love, of fathers pride,
OF sons heroic deeds, of daughters
honor, the hatred bred by war between
branches of family, all gathered to
form complete whole in locale not
unlike that of ante-bellum and recon-
struction days; such is the spectacle
reviewed during the showing of the
birth of Nation" at the Armory four
days and nights of this week, beginning
last Sunday. Even to attempt to
describe the multitudinous, startling
and at times to the point of tears dra-
matte scenes, could only result in an
attempted aspelsion upon the work of:
master hand of stage productions and
invasion of ground seldom trod by
author, artist or actor. To say that the.
music by the orchestra of over twenty
pieces supplements the things impossible,
to portray upon the movie screen is
telling but half the story. Without the.
music, scenic and stage effects, "The.
Birth OF Nation" would hardly attract
the attention of more than sharplv
defined strip of country on both sides of
Mason and Dixon's line. But through
the strains of music, the blare of trum-
pets, the realistic cannonade of ar
tillery, and the thud of hoofs as the.
thousand and more Clansmen sweep,
through the reaches of the sand dunes
OF Virginia, the spectator is transported
temporarily to the Southland and for
three hours lives the fifteen years of
time, preceding, during and following the :
great conflict between the North and
South.
Reconstruction DAYS.
The story is based upon history. al
though the then leader of the radicals
in Congress is hidden under the name of
Austin Stoneman, but no doubt was a.
noted parsonage of his time. His ideas
OF the South and especially his plans
tor the future of the negro race are in
great variance with those of the lamented
Lincoln. The kindly thought of the
latter to treat the South as though it had
never left the Union are regarded as too
mild by Stoneman. He wants the
Southerners treated as outlaws and
traitors and the South transformed into
Black Nation with the negro as an
equal if not superior to the whites. His
mulatto protege Lynch serves the pur-
pose and is sent among his race in
Virginia to organize his forces and bring
the blacks to a fuller realization of their
freedom by giving them the right of
ballot and control of the polls to the
exclusion of their former masters. He
finds ready response among the race of
ignorant, neglected and abused former
slaves and scenes of rapine, murder and
destruction of Southern homes are the
result. The courts and juries are COM
posed of blacks and during the election .
the carpetbaggers and negroes gain con-
troll OF the legislature by an over-whelm-
ing majority with Lynch as lieutenant
governor. In the historic chambers of .
Virginia's capitol, once resounding with
the silver-tongued oratory of it's states
men, debauchery and nauseating and
loathsome scenes are enacted, until at ~
last the whites no longer able to stand
the strain conceive the unseen and un-
known empire of the South and organize
themselves into bands of secret societies. ,
Ihe movement grows until thousands are
gathered under the banner bearing the
legend OF Virginia "Sic Semper Tyran-.
MIS- eliminating in the restoration of
order and submission of the blacks to
The laws of man and state. Stoneman.
The theorist, finally comes face to face
With the result of his teachings when
lynch, the mulatto protege, demands
lis right of social equality by asking for
he hand of Stoneman's daughter in
marriage. The rage of the negro upon
icing refused knows no bounds and he
purs on his fellows to commit arson,
murder and even worse.
The thread OF love is ever present, even
midst the scenes Of conflict upon bloody
'attle fields. It begins with the visit
! college chums at the home of friends
Washington, before the war, is carried
nto the Southern home in reconstruction
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