 | Birth of a Nation Poster. Author: Unknown; distributed by Epoch Film Co. This image is in the public domain in the United States, where Works published prior to 1978 were copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" PDF from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published before 1923 in this case 1915 are now in the public domain. Birth of a Nation premiered with the title "The Clansman" is a 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith. Set during and after the American Civil War, the film was based on Thomas Dixon's The Clansman, a novel and play. |
It has provoked controversy for promoting "white supremacy" and positively portraying the "knights" of the Ku Klux Klan as heroes.
Eric M. Armstrong of The Moving Arts Film Journal writes
“ ...The Birth of a Nation is as revered as it is reviled. Its unparalleled innovation and audacity, technically and narratively, coupled with its unprecedented cultural impact, makes it perhaps the single most important film ever made. ”
2 comments:
it isn't really 'controversial'. it's pretty unequivocally racist. just say 'it's also known for being racist' don't pretend like there is some kind of debate about it. the only debate there has been is whether its racism trumps it's artistic merit. personally, i'd say yes, especially a hundred years later when it's artistic influence but racism is still pretty alive and well. i mean, we can't even just say the movie is 'racist' we have to say it's 'controversial'.
that should say "its artistic influence is far removed".
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