Topic: racism

Griffith’s reaction to the negative feedback towards his film was one of shock as he believed he was carrying out a selfless and honourable function for the nation through his film. The Rise and Fall of Free Speech in America was a response released by Griffith which incorporated the opinions of academic historians that supported the version of history which his film encompassed. He was so affected by such a negative reaction that his next film named Intolerance was released as a response to his heated critics. Although Griffith moved on to other projects, the conflict concerning this film persisted, continually reignited by the numerous re-releases of the film which ensured the issues it raised remained in the minds of both the film’s fans and critics alike for the decades that followed. Before examining the racist content which exacted such a heated response from those who viewed The Birth of a Nation, it is important to identify the innovations, refinements, technical effects and artistic advancements it contained which would influence the development of all future films and enthuse film scholars to agree that “it is the single most important and key film of all time in American movie history” (Dirks). Although The Birth of a Nation rightfully deserves the esteem in which it is held for the ways it changed the language of cinema, it is essential to remember that Griffith himself did not invent all of the techniques used in his work. Many of the techniques and innovations visible in his work had been introduced by filmmakers of the early 1900’s such as Georges Melies or Griffith’s under-rated cameraman and primary collaborator Billy Bitzer. Importance is found rather in The Birth of a Nation as it is here such innovations and techniques culminate and are improved upon in order to communicate the kind of narrative that cinema had been moving towards since its existence. Examples of such innovations incorporated within this film include night-time photography made possible through the use of magnesium flares fired into the sky and the use of hundreds of extras to re-create battle scenes which greatly enhanced the spectacle of the scenes created. The film was also one of the first to utilise an original score along with the use of elaborate intertitles which contributed to the depth of the narrative created. Griffith displayed the effectiveness of parallel editing in his film where through the acceleration of fast cuts between shots he was able to create scenes of suspense which rose to a climax, as visible in one of the final scenes where the Klu Klux Klan is seen speeding to the rescue. Another innovation which Griffith used to construct his narrative was the use of flashbacks, or “switchbacks” as he called them, which are extremely common in films today. The use Griffith made of camera angles and distances was both highly innovative and influential, but more importantly was highly effective throughout The Birth of a Nation whether it be concerning the intimate close-ups of someone’s face to convey subtle emotions, or the contrasting long shots of battles allowing the action to occur on multiple planes of vision simultaneously. Because many of these techniques are now standard features of films but first came together in The Birth of a Nation, countless directors owe their technical knowledge of cinematography to Griffith and the cohesiveness of his film.