Birth of a nation, just saw it

[Dr. Strangelove]

I've heard of BoaN a lot, of course, and finally watched it tonight, after TCM did a damn good restoration and remastering of it.

Wow, that movie is going to 100 years on in 4 years...

Anyway, I understand that a lot of people found it offensive, and I know that there were violent outbreaks that occurred after it was shown.  Still, it was a real game changer in terms of motion pictures and all but invented the significant length film, as films of the day were usually short ones lasting a few minutes. It was about the longest film of it'd say, and at 3 hrs still is.

I understand the hate a lot of people have for it, but really, I think people need to laugh at the film today. I mean, I know enough american history to find the film absolutely ridiculous in terms of historical fact, and the idea that whites were oppressed and outvoted by blacks in the reconstruction era is laughable.

This movie reminded me of "reefer madness", in all honesty. RM was made to be a serious film but it was made by people with an anti marijuana agenda and little knowledge of the reality of marijuana and absolutely no regard for the truth or facts, and as such it is now looked on as theater of the absurd, an unintentional comedy.

Really, I think that BoaN should be looked at the same way. It was made by racists with an agenda and very little knowledge of the truth or facts concerning the reconstruction era, and absolutely no regard for the truth whatsoever.

Maybe people will scream outrage over this, but I found myself laughing, contemptuously, at the images of whites in the south being turned away from polls and state senates being utterly dominated by huge black majorities.

The movie may have an ugly history, but I think people give it too much power by taking such outrage at it when they should be laughing at it. Not with it, like an intentional comedy, but at it for being absolutely nonsensical and absurd.

Really, the idea of a southern state senate in the reconstruction (or any) era having something like 120 black members and 20 whites as portrayed in BoaN is just  to anyone with even a basic knowledge of american history.

[indianasmith]

It's the fact that so many Americans, including President Woodrow Wilson, assumed that it was portraying FACT that makes it so chilling.  Yes, it's ludicrous today, but they BELIEVED it then.  Wilson staged a special showing in the White House for his Cabinet.

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

The film and it's content may have been wrong (and ridiculous) but that's just how they did things back then.   That was then, this is now. And yes the film is quite laughable.

However, being that history promotes hatred (and always will) it's natural that some people won't see it this way, and thus the outbreaks of fighting taking place after a showing of a film of this nature.

There are a lot of stereotypes on both sides of the aisle that need to be erased, and not played by the media or certain civil rights leaders to continue to guarantee their job security that an otherwise level playing field wouldn't afford them.

[Criswell]

It is a racist film, you can't deny that at all. But it was an important film and movies today likely wouldn't be the same without it.

[Flick James]

I have a theory that Birth of a Nation was actually a very sophisticated schtick comedy.

[BoyScoutKevin]

I've always wanted to see the entire film, though I never have. I have seen parts of it, and the parts of it I have seen, powerful stuff. Though, some of the acting is over the top. Like much of the acting in silent films.

Perhaps, the film is too good for its own good, as it was used as a recruiting tool by the revived Klu Klux Klan.

The film was based on the novel and play "The Klansman" by Thomas Dixon, jr. Neither one of which I have read or seen. Though, I do understand the racism in the novel was toned down, when the film was made.