Sorry folks, but you can't judge a film without seeing it. So stop it. Stop with your outrage and petitions. If you don't want to see the film, don't watch it. This is an award winning American film directed by D. W. Griffith that got positive reviews from people who saw it, so I'm going to give it a chance.
Free to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nGQaAddwjxg
I did watch it in Film class, and not only was it poorly made, the only reason I even knew what the damned story was about was because the teacher had to discuss it with us and have us read about it. It was a horrendously shitty film, and you could barely tell what was going on, even with written dialogue. Even when it was released in the 1910s, people were upset by it, though for different reasons than what would make viewers upset today.
shareYeah, I've known about the film for decades, only ever seen bits of it in the odd documentary or seen it mentioned in movie books, it's not the kind of film I'd go out of my way to watch, especially for its content and I don't enjoy watching silent movies much anyway, so that doesn’t help.
But with it being free to watch on YouTube I’m going to give it a view.
The film's effect on history is more important than the film itself, and that's what I judge D.W. Griffith for.
Apparently the film sparked a resurgence of the Klu Klux Klan, which had started during Reconstruction and had been largely stamped out by 1915. After "Bird of a Nation" the KKK becaume bigger than ever, and because a huge and evil political force, and was responsible for God knows how many murders.
https://www.history.com/news/kkk-birth-of-a-nation-film
Sometimes a film's influence is far more notable than a film's content, and "Birth of a Nation" could fairly be called the most influential film ever made. It changed the course of both film history, and real-life history, the former to the good, and the latter very much to the bad.
Yeah, KKK was dead and buried, then sadly became huge again in the 1920's with the help of this movie.
I've read how ground-breaking in filmmaking Birth of a Nation was, so I'm going to watch it for that, but I'm sure the aftermath of this film will be on my mind whilst watching it too.
I have no intent of watching that mess, I may be a film geek but I have zero tolerance for seeing the KKK glorified.
I'm okay with that, as like I said, the film's effect on history is far more important than the film's content, and I'm sure it's far more interesting.
It is a great film but even in the day it's message was controversial. Maybe it got positive reviews but it also definitely (and deservedly) got very negative ones. And I can't determine if it won any awards.
I do agree that people should watch it before they judge. I make a rule of it to not give an opinion on any piece of art before I have experienced it. And trying to bury a piece of art because of an opinion is always bad. Art is always innocent.
But there should be no talk of people 'should' watch' it, or 'have to' watch it. This is a personal choice and like with any movie, its not for others to dictate what others should watch.
In this case the subject matter and content of the film are well documented, and if someone chooses not to watch it on that basis, thats their right.
Of course it is. Just don't judge it if you haven't seen it.
sharedid you see it?
shareI forced myself to watch it some years ago. I think it was shit then and think its shit now. I don't care what cinematic techniques D.W. might came up with. It must of been so hard to figure out the "Establishing shot". "Lets get shots of a house and then show what's on Going Inside" Yeah nobody else could figured that out. Lol. Not only is it Racist, But its boring as shit. I can only assume those who thought this was great entertainment or art at the time. Where either High on Opium or they were committed Racist. Lets not pretend like Better Movies haven't been made in 110 years since D.W. made this crap-hole. When people talk about the best films ever. Nobody mentions D.W. Films. Its Always the Godfather or Shawshank Redemption and shit. Even when comes to Silent movies. Its All Charlie Chaplin and Lon Chaney.
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