Review of The Birth of a Nation (1915) by Angela P — 07 Nov 2008

And here it is, the most controversial movie of all time. A sweeping 3 hour silent civil war epic, D.W. Griffith's first successful blockbuster not only lay the foundation upon which films would be built for the next 90 some years (and probably longer), but also inflamed a nation with its absolutely appalling racism.

Watching it today, after the historic event on 11/4/2008, it's even more deplorable to once's sense of democracy, that such a competent artist could so openly denounce the equality of blacks. Despite all that, the movie is a technical achievement of immense proportions that set up the stage for Griffith's own "Intolerance" and later epics including "Citizen Kane" and "Lawrence of Arabia.

" From a shear historical perspective, it is absolutely essential viewing. From any other perspective, it is horribly boring, awkward, and unpleasant to watch.