The Birth of a Nation

Plot

The Birth of a Nation follows two families, the Northern abolitionist Stonemans and the Southern plantation-owning Camerons, whose lives intertwine before, during, and after the American Civil War. The film begins with the Stonemans visiting the Camerons at their Southern estate, where romantic relationships develop between family members. When war erupts, the families find themselves on opposite sides, with Ben Cameron fighting for the Confederacy while his beloved Elsie Stoneman's brother fights for the Union. After Ben is wounded and captured, Elsie nurses him back to health, deepening their romance despite the conflict. The film's controversial second half depicts Reconstruction-era South Carolina as a period of chaos and corruption under African American leadership, leading Ben Cameron to found the Ku Klux Klan to 'restore order' and protect white Southern society. The climactic sequences show the Klan riding to rescue the Camerons from an attack by African American militia, ultimately 'saving' the South and reuniting the lovers.

Historical Background

The Birth of a Nation was released during a period of intense racial tension in America, fifty years after the Civil War and during the height of the Jim Crow era. The early 1910s saw widespread segregation, disenfranchisement of African American voters, and increasing racial violence across the country. The film emerged just as the film industry was establishing itself in Hollywood and moving from short films to feature-length productions. World War I was raging in Europe, though the United States had not yet entered the conflict. The Progressive Era was bringing social reforms, but these often excluded African Americans. The film's release coincided with the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities, which was changing demographic patterns and increasing racial tensions in urban areas. The film's portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan as heroic defenders of white civilization resonated with many white Americans who feared social change and the erosion of white supremacy.

Making Of

The production of The Birth of a Nation was an unprecedented undertaking in early cinema. D.W. Griffith, already established as a pioneering director at Biograph Studios, invested his own money and reputation into the project. He spent months researching Civil War history and consulted with veterans to ensure accuracy in uniforms and battle tactics. The filming took place over several months in 1914, with Griffith employing multiple camera units to capture the massive scale of battle sequences. The cast and crew worked long hours in often dangerous conditions, with real explosives used in battle scenes. Lillian Gish later recalled that Griffith was obsessed with historical accuracy, demanding that actors wear authentic period clothing and that sets be built to exact specifications. The film's controversial content was known during production, with some actors expressing discomfort with the racist portrayals, though most participated due to Griffith's reputation and the promise of groundbreaking work in cinema.

Visual Style

The film's cinematography, led by Billy Bitzer, was revolutionary for its time. Bitzer employed innovative techniques including panoramic long shots of battlefields, intimate close-ups for emotional moments, and tracking shots that moved with the action. The film used natural lighting whenever possible and pioneered the use of iris shots to focus attention on specific details. Color tinting was used extensively to enhance mood and differentiate time periods - amber for daylight, blue for night scenes, and red for battle sequences. The battle sequences featured extraordinary camera work, including shots taken from balloons for aerial perspectives and cameras placed on moving platforms to follow cavalry charges. The film's visual style established many conventions of classical Hollywood cinema that would become standard practice for decades.

Innovations

The Birth of a Nation introduced numerous technical innovations that would become standard in cinema. Griffith's use of parallel editing to build suspense across multiple storylines was groundbreaking, particularly in the famous 'last minute rescue' sequences that would become a Hollywood staple. The film featured elaborate camera movements including tracking shots, pans, and zooms that were technically difficult in 1915. The battle sequences employed thousands of extras and coordinated multiple camera units to capture action from various angles. The film's use of color tinting for emotional effect was innovative, as was its application of makeup techniques to create consistent character appearances across the long shooting schedule. The film's three-hour length challenged the prevailing assumption that audiences couldn't sit through such long features, helping establish the feature film as the dominant cinematic form. Griffith also pioneered techniques for creating realistic battle effects using explosives and carefully choreographed action sequences.

Music

As a silent film, The Birth of a Nation was accompanied by live musical performances during screenings. The original score was composed by Joseph Carl Breil, one of the first original scores written specifically for a feature film. Breil incorporated popular songs of the Civil War era, classical pieces, and original compositions. The most famous musical element was the use of 'Dixie' for Southern scenes and 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' for Northern sequences. The score also featured Wagnerian leitmotifs, with specific musical themes associated with different characters and ideas. The musical accompaniment was so important to the film's impact that Griffith insisted on specific orchestral arrangements for all major screenings. The success of the film's musical approach helped establish the practice of commissioning original scores for major motion pictures.

Memorable Scenes

• The assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, depicted with historical detail and dramatic tension
• The massive battle sequences with thousands of soldiers, particularly the Siege of Petersburg scenes
• Ben Cameron's inspiration to found the Ku Klux Klan after watching white children playing ghost and being frightened
• The climactic rescue sequence where the Klan rides to save the Cameron family from attack
• The ballroom scenes at the Cameron plantation, showcasing the antebellum Southern aristocracy
• Elsie Stoneman's frantic ride to warn Ben Cameron of danger
• The sequence showing African American legislators eating fried chicken and drinking alcohol in the South Carolina legislature
• The burning of Atlanta scenes, which influenced similar sequences in Gone with the Wind
• The final scenes showing the reunification of North and South through the marriage of Elsie and Ben

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception was deeply divided along racial and regional lines. White Northern critics generally praised the film's technical achievements while expressing some discomfort with its politics. Southern critics enthusiastically embraced both its technical merits and its ideological message. African American newspapers and civil rights leaders uniformly condemned the film as dangerous propaganda. The New York Times praised its 'extraordinary' technical qualities while noting its 'unfortunate' racial content. Over time, critical opinion has evolved to acknowledge the film's technical innovations while condemning its racist ideology. Modern critics universally recognize the film as a masterpiece of cinematic technique that simultaneously represents one of the most evil propaganda films ever made. The film is now studied primarily as a historical artifact that demonstrates both the artistic potential and the dangerous power of cinema.

What Audiences Thought

The Birth of a Nation was an unprecedented box office phenomenon, attracting millions of viewers and setting attendance records that stood for decades. White audiences, particularly in the South, responded with enthusiasm, often giving standing ovations during Klan sequences. Ticket prices were set at the unprecedented rate of $2 (equivalent to about $50 today), yet theaters were consistently sold out. The film's success led to roadshow presentations with live orchestras and special programs, treating cinema as a prestigious cultural event for the first time. However, African American audiences and their allies organized protests and boycotts. In several cities, including Boston and Philadelphia, the film was banned due to public pressure and concerns about inciting racial violence. The film's commercial success demonstrated the power of cinema to attract mass audiences and established the economic model for the Hollywood blockbuster system that would follow.

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