Review of The Birth of a Nation (1915) by Kylie P — 24 Jan 2009
When ignoring the racist parts of the film (which is almost too hard but can be done to some extent), the story is actually quite epic, even romantic. The fact is, it's hard to view a film like The Birth of a Nation as a truly great film.
A film can be innovative, for its use of filmmaking techniques no one had ever used before, and significant to the evolution of cinema without being called "great." It's fair to call it a pinnacle in the evolution of film, but its highly racist content, controversial even in 1915 (when people were more tolerant of racist attitudes) and which is based on inaccuracy, fear, and hatred would seem, to me, to knock it down a few pegs from any greatness pedestal.
The best-filmed scene in it was the assassination of Lincoln, which was accurately taken from historical accounts and paintings; was surprisingly gruesome and tense, even though it was logically coming; and which had nothing to do with its racist message.
This review of The Birth of a Nation (1915) was written by Kylie P on 24 Jan 2009.
The Birth of a Nation has generally received mixed reviews.
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