Review of The Birth of a Nation (1915) by Kevin S — 30 Jun 2011

I watched this for it's historical significance, this is the film that, aparently, inspired the Ku Klux Klan, as we know it today, to form. They use this film as a recruitment tool. It's unforgiveably racist and should not be seen by idiots. When it was released in 1915 it was a record-breaking box office smash that ultimately and irrepairably damaged America forever. So it's significance can't really be argued, like it or not.

I nearly gave up on it after half an hour though, it's hard to watch as it's a silent movie and the characters are difficult to recognise and remember but, as it goes on, you get used to it. It's not a good film by todays standards even if it was technologically advanced in 1915, it's pretty boring, especially the civil war part at the start. It's bizarre to think that black people at that time agreed to appear (as extras) in a film alongside white people in the costume of a black person acting out bigger parts. Quite strange.