The Birth
of a Nation (**1/2)
review by Jon
Waterman
The Civil War was a time of great turmoil where once friendly
families began fighting each other to the death. The film focuses
on two such families, Cameron and Stoneman, as they attempt
to deal with post-war society. This is Reconstruction told
from the point of view of the Southerners. Their whole world
is being flipped upside down as blacks become free and the
North starts imposing its laws and rules. Dun Dun Duuuunnnnnnn!
“A PLEA FOR THE ART OF THE MOTION PICTURE: We do not
fear censorship, for we have no wish to offend with improprieties
or obscenities, but we do demand, as a right, the liberty to
show the dark side of wrong, that we may illuminate the bright
side of virtue - the same liberty that is conceded to the art
of the written word - that art to which we owe the Bible and
the works of Shakespeare.” Looking at this opening title
card, it’s evident the film is prepping itself for the
inevitable controversy. The “dark side” they speak
of is the North and the virtuous “bright side” is
the Confederate South. If this sounds like anything you couldn’t
bear to watch, even to learn from this gross ignorance, then
consider yourself warned and move right along.
Despite the horrible message of the movie (to give you a small
clue as to where the filmmaker’s mindset is at, all black
characters that have to interact with whites are played by
white people in blackface), it is an incredible piece of filmmaking.
Director D.W. Griffith puts together a silent epic tale that
is actually pretty easy to follow (even without the program).
What helps the audience out the most is the recognizable locations.
Every set is shot from one angle. This way, when you return
to the scene later on in the film, you remember that particular
set-up instantly. The locations show off great depth. There’s
almost always some level of background action, and the detail
of the interiors actually make them look like rooms rather
than sets.
The film very much acts like a historical text (biased as
it is). To emphasize the portrait in time aspect, some of the
opening scenes will introduce the characters and then close
in a vignetted frame that looks like they’re posing for
a painting. Also the movie includes several historical reenactments
(complete with cited sources) to tie everything together in
a more concrete timeframe and emotional context. Usually this
works, except for the excruciatingly long Civil War battle
scenes. Any time a soldier dies, it’s just plain funny.
In fact, all the acting is laughable. It’s too exaggerated
even for the stage. And the whole film is unbearably long.
There’s a sequence where we spend about two minutes watching
a squirrel until it runs away. Shots drag on like this all
the time. Sure you can follow the story line, but don’t
be surprised if you drift asleep or feel like running away
yourself. The visual impact of the film is immense, but it’s
not enough to counteract the unbearable pace of the three-hour
running time inundated with pro-slavery trite.
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