Griffith's Birth of a Nation is regarded, as a classic of American cinema for it's many new cinematic innovations and refinements, technical effects and artistic advancements, becoming a formative influence and having a recognized impact on film history and the development of film as art. Despite its historical importance in the development of film, its controversial portrayal of African Americans was immediately condemned for its racist overtones, i.e., of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) portrayed as heroes and Southern Blacks as villains. .
Plot.
The film deals with the events leading up to the civil war, the war itself, and the reconstruction of the South. The film is divided into two parts. The first deals with the events leading up to the war, the war scenes and the assassination of President Lincoln. The second part of the film deals with the south's battle to integrate blacks and whites. The film places two families, one from the North and one from the South into the historical time period. We see the war devastate both families and the relationships between them. Eventually, the blacks in the South are portrayed as lazy, lust filled creatures that are unable to control their sexuality. The movie ends with the KKK saving the lives of innocent white women and Southern whites retaining control through the use of force.
After being released as the Clansman, Griffith changed the title to The Birth of A Nation due to public reaction that consisted of riots in major cities, picketing of the film and lawsuits generated by the film's content. President Woodrow Wilson, after a private screening at the White House is reported to have exclaimed "It's like writing history with lighting. And my only regret is that it is entirely true." While Wilson claimed that the movie was entirely true, there are many incidences where truth loses out to dramatic narrative. Griffith eventually released a version without the references to the KKK.
