The Birth of a Nation

This article is about the 1915 silent film. For other uses, see The Birth of a Nation (disambiguation).

The Birth of a Nation
Theatrical release poster
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Screenplay by
Based onThe Clansman
by Thomas Dixon Jr.
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBilly Bitzer
Edited byD. W. Griffith
Music byJoseph Carl Breil
Production
company
David W. Griffith Corp.
Distributed byEpoch Producing Co.
Release date
  • February 8, 1915 (1915-02-08)
Running time
12 reels
133–193 minutes[note 1][2]
CountryUnited States
Languages
Budget$100,000+[3]
Box office$50–100 million[4]
The Birth of a Nation (full film)

The Birth of a Nation, originally called The Clansman,[5] is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play The Clansman. Griffith co-wrote the screenplay with Frank E. Woods and produced the film with Harry Aitken.

The Birth of a Nation is a landmark of film history,[6][7] lauded for its technical virtuosity.[8] It was the first non-serial American 12-reel film ever made.[9] Its plot, part fiction and part history, chronicles the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth and the relationship of two families in the Civil War and Reconstruction eras over the course of several years—the pro-Union (Northern) Stonemans and the pro-Confederacy (Southern) Camerons. It was originally shown in two parts separated by an intermission, and it was the first American-made film to have a musical score for an orchestra. It pioneered closeups and fadeouts, and it includes a carefully staged battle sequence with hundreds of extras (another first) made to look like thousands.[10] It came with a 13-page Souvenir Program.[11] It was the first motion picture to be screened inside the White House, viewed there by President Woodrow Wilson, his family, and members of his cabinet.

The film was controversial even before its release and it has remained so ever since; it has been called "the most controversial film ever made in the United States"[12]: 198  and "the most reprehensibly racist film in Hollywood history."[13] The film has been denounced for its racist depiction of African Americans.[8] The film portrays its black characters (many of whom are played by white actors in blackface) as unintelligent and sexually aggressive toward white women. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is portrayed as a heroic force, necessary to preserve American values, protect white women, and maintain white supremacy.[14][15]

Popular among white audiences nationwide upon its release, the film's success was both a consequence of and a contributor to racial segregation throughout the U.S.[16] In response to the film's depictions of black people and Civil War history, African Americans across the U.S. organized and protested. In Boston and other localities, black leaders and the NAACP spearheaded an unsuccessful campaign to have it banned on the basis that it inflamed racial tensions and could incite violence.[17] It was also denied release in the state of Ohio and the cities of Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Minneapolis. Griffith's indignation at efforts to censor or ban the film motivated him to produce Intolerance the following year.[18] [better source needed]

In spite of its divisiveness, The Birth of a Nation was a massive commercial success across the nation—grossing far more than any previous motion picture—and it profoundly influenced both the film industry and American culture. Adjusted for inflation, the film remains one of the highest-grossing films ever made. It has been acknowledged as an inspiration for the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan, which took place only a few months after its release. In 1992, the Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.[19][20]

  1. ^ "D. W. Griffith: Hollywood Independent". Cobbles.com. June 26, 1917. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  2. ^ "The Birth of a Nation (U)". Western Import Co. Ltd. British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hall & Neale (2010) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Monaco was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Thomas Dixon Dies, Wrote Clansman". The New York Times. April 4, 1946. p. 23.
  6. ^ The Birth of a Nation. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "The Birth of a Nation (1915)". filmsite.org. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Niderost, Eric (October 2005). "'The Birth of a Nation': When Hollywood Glorified the KKK". HistoryNet. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  9. ^ Hubbert, Julie (2011). Celluloid Symphonies: Texts and Contexts in Film Music History. University of California Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-520-94743-6.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Souvenir. The Birth of a Nation" (PDF). 1915. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Slide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Rampell, Ed (March 3, 2015). "'The Birth of a Nation': The most racist movie ever made". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "MJ Movie Reviews – Birth of a Nation, The (1915) by Dan DeVore". Archived from the original on July 7, 2009.
  15. ^ Armstrong, Eric M. (February 26, 2010). "Revered and Reviled: D.W. Griffith's 'The Birth of a Nation'". The Moving Arts Film Journal. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  16. ^ Stand Your Ground: A History of America's Love Affair with Lethal Self-Defense. Beacon Press. 2017. p. 81. The Birth of a Nation was an instant success across the nation, grossing more than any prior motion picture ... white audiences throughout the nation enjoyed the romantic depiction of the Old South.
  17. ^ "The Black Activist Who Fought Against D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation"". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  18. ^ "Top Ten – Top 10 Banned Films of the 20th century – Top 10 – Top 10 List – Top 10 Banned Movies – Censored Movies – Censored Films". Alternativereel.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  19. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  20. ^ "'The Birth of a Nation' Documents History". The Los Angeles Times. January 4, 1993. Retrieved May 19, 2020.


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