DW Griffith is one of the most important figures in American film history. His Birth of a nation is an important film as it influenced the advancement of cinema and popularized many film techniques that are still used today. The acting also demonstrates the advancement of cinema. As the story is being told through visuals only exaggerated movements are necessary to convey emotions that cannot be derived from the dialogue, this was considered normal at the time however actors do look quite ridiculous and unrealistic in a realist film.
The three hour epic, Birth of a Nation follows the story of two families, one from the north and one from the south. Griffiths shows both families living happily amongst black and white people in a master and servant kind of way. When the north side wins the war the black people run wild hurting many white people. The KKK are there to save the day and rescue the town from being destroyed by the black people. In this day and age this concept would be highly controversial, a contemporary audience would not accept the racism displayed in this film.
Contemporary audiences would expect more from a movie, however no matter how slow the action is, at the time the film was made, audiences would have been amazed with the many battle scenes and hundreds of extras. Beneath the story are a number of shots that were never before seen all in one film. Close-ups (for psychological impact), the flashback, crosscutting, tracking shots, tilt shots and long shots.
Despite the racism and long, slow scenes this film is a must see if interested in the history and development of film.
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