Birth of a Nation, Movie Review Example

D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) is the cinematic recounting of a particular historical narrative, as the crucial events leading up to and following the American Civil War are interpreted through the newly born medium of film. In this regard, the film may be viewed as the intersection of two historical moments: firstly, an account of a pivotal event in American history; secondly, the film is one of the first examples of cinematic art in America. Accordingly, the film can be said to incorporate not one, but two birth. Firstly, Griffith’s work portrays the origin of the modern American nation through an aesthetic narrative; secondly, it documents the origin of film as an art form that has the potential to interpret historical events in a radically original style. As Brian W. Fairbanks notes, “The Birth of a Nation is as much a part of history as the Civil War it dramatized.” (Fairbanks, p. 62) In Griffith’s work, there is thus a doubling of historical effects, in which film does not only depict a historical event of period, but the film itself becomes a historical event. This notion entails that The Birth of a Nation was one of the first cinematic epics; at the same time, the film can be construed as informing the American consciousness on the meaning and effect of the Civil War. In other words, this fictional event takes the form of a certain historical source document. In this regard, it is pertinent to examine precisely how the form and content of The Birth of a Nation produces its particular effect. In the following essay, we shall focus on some of the contentual themes of the film and the cinematic formal techniques used by D.W. Griffith to understand how the film itself becomes a historical phenomenon that can shape the viewpoints of individuals.

The Birth of a Nation is particularly infamous as a cinematic document according to the interpretation of its content as an endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan in the period during and after the American Civil War. Hence, what is at stake in the film is an apparent ideological narrative, in which Griffith makes a clear philosophical decision to portray the Ku Klux Klan in a positive light. The film thus takes a greater critical look at the Civil War and precisely argues against the possibility of a racially- integrated America. The concerns of the film – such as in the second part of the film, in which the Ku Klux Klan disrupts black elections – are all portrayed in a certain heroic ambience. This offers a historical interpretation of the Civil War and its aftermath as a wrong turn in American history. Accordingly, Griffith uses the medium of film to offer his own historiographical account of America, with not only a mere objective portrayal of facts, but with a pronounced intervention and interpretation of these facts according to the view that the outcome of the war was a disaster and that an integrated America is an abomination. With the film’s closing remark “Dare we dream of a golden day when the bestial War shall rule no more? But instead-the gentle Prince in the Hall of Brotherly Love in the City of Peace”, Griffith seems to imply two things: firstly, a corrective on the assumed historical narrative that the North’s victory in the Civil War was beneficial for America; and secondly, a future projection of what America will be like because of this result, noting that the North’s victory shall merely perpetuate conflict instead of ending it. Whether Griffith’s ideological point is correct is not the issue; what is crucial here is that the director understands how film can intervene not only as an aesthetic medium, one of entertainment, but can also simultaneously be historiographical, political and ideological. What Griffith identifies is precisely the power of film to be able to produce such an effect within society beyond the mere confinements of entertainment, producing a relevant historical, political and ideological object in its own essence.

Such a thesis is reflected in the formal methods that Griffith uses in this film. The film is often cited for its ingenious and revolutionary usage of film techniques. Accordingly, Griffith does not only realize the potential of cinema to affect change as tied to the content of the film, but also decides to use film itself in a radical manner, thus essentially creating a new object: this radical usage of form can be conceived as precisely a rebellion against traditional forms of film, traditional forms that re-enforce the notion of film as mere entertainment. The radical usage of form is thus a conscious decision to realize the potential of film beyond a disposable, vacant product.

Some of the radical usages of form are found in Griffith’s repeated utilization of high-angle and long shots. This can be viewed as an attempt to enforce the notion of the long-term historical significance of the events Griffith portrays, emphasizing his usage of film as a medium of objective, historical interpretation. In other words, the employment of such distance shots creates a certain objectivity to the form of the film, as if one were reading an objective work of historiography. This helps present the clear ideological message that Griffith wishes to convey in a certain objective form, without merely falling into the trap of obvious superficial propaganda. Moreover, such long shots seem to evoke the historical impact of this period, as if the effect of these scenes were great events that are continually pertinent within history and relevant to the society of 1915.

At the same time, costume design plays a key role in Griffith’s film, as he emphasizes a historical accuracy. The usage of authentic costumes presents the film as a seemingly faithful portrayal of the events of the time period, thus enforcing the notion of the film as a historical document, one that actually depicts the events of a time period. This innovative utilization gives the film the feel of a documentary.

This is not to say that Griffith merely relies on motifs similar to historiography with the aim of producing the effect of an objective, historical account. At the same time, his innovative use of editing demonstrates an attempt to build suspense in the audience, which indicates that Griffith is also concerned with playing to the entertainment aspects of the film medium. For example, various montage cuts help generate danger and suspense within the film’s narrative. At the same time, he also uses close-ups in order to draw the viewer into a subjective experience of the film, which compliments the objective effect that is used in long shots. Moreover, this can be viewed not only as an attempt to draw the audience in to the film’s characters, but an attempt to draw the audience into the ideological message of the film itself.

Essentially, what Griffith realizes in his contentual and formal composition of The Birth of a Nation is the historical power of the film medium itself. Griffith therefore radicalizes the newly born genre in order to release the hidden potential that he discovers in the medium. The film is not merely an empty form of entertainment, but can also present itself with an ideological message. This is not to suggest, however, that Griffith ignores the entertainment aspect of film. His usage of montage and close ups to generate effects of suspense and identification with characters on a subjective level demonstrates his attentiveness to the importance of presenting a compelling narrative to the film-viewing public. At the same time, Griffith nonetheless realizes that the notion of a compelling narrative must not merely be a case of a compelling “narrative for narrative’s sake”, but rather that this narrative can in fact carry a clear political message. Despite the general unacceptability of the specific political and ideological views Griffith presents, and the inaccuracy of his historical account, The Birth of a Nation nonetheless remains a testimony to the realization that the medium of film can perform the functions of entertainment, political action, and historical re-interpretation.

Works Cited

Fairbanks, Brian W. I Saw that Film Too: Selected Film Reviews. Morrisville, NC:

Lulu.com press, 2008. Print.