The Birth of a Nation

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The Birth of a Nation is a 1915 silent movie. It was directed by D. W. Griffith. It was based on the book The Clansman by Thomas Dixon, Jr. It stars Lillian Gish.

The Birth of a Nation
Birth of a Nation theatrical poster.jpg
Movie poster
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Produced byD. W. Griffith, Harry Aitken[1]
Written byD. W. Griffith, T. F. Dixon, Jr.
Frank E. Woods
StarringLillian Gish
Mae Marsh
Henry B. Walthall
Miriam Cooper
Ralph Lewis
George Siegmann
Music byJoseph Carl Breil
CinematographyG.W. Bitzer
Edited byD. W. Griffith
Production
company
Distributed byEpoch Producing Co.
Release date
  • February 8, 1915 (1915-02-08)
Running time
190 minutes (at 16 frame/s)
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent film
English intertitles
The Birth of a Nation

The movie is about two families during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era. The Northern Stoneman family is pro-Union. The Southern Cameron family is pro-Confederacy. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth is dramatized.

The movie was a great success. It was very controversial though. It showed African American men (played by white actors in blackface) as stupid and sexually aggressive towards white women. It also showed the Ku Klux Klan as a heroic force.[2] There were protests.[3] The movie was banned in several cities. The outcry of racism was great.[4]

The movie is also credited in part with the formation of the "second era" Ku Klux Klan the same year. The Birth of a Nation was used as a recruiting tool for the KKK.[5] In 1915, it was the first movie to be shown at the White House.[6][7]

References

  1. D. W. Griffith: Hollywood Independent
  2. Armstrong, Eric M. (February 26, 2010). "Revered and Reviled: D.W. Griffith's 'The Birth of a Nation'". The Moving Arts Film Journal. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  3. Mass Moments: “The Birth of a Nation” Sparks Protest
  4. Top Ten - Top 10 Banned Films of the 20th Century - Top 10 - Top 10 List - Top 10 Banned Movies - Censored Movies - Censored Films
  5. A Birth of a Nation essays
  6. Perks in the White House
  7. Variety: The Ultimate Screening: ’42′ Gets a White House Endorsement

[[Category:Movies directed by