Monday, September 12, 2016
Birth of a Controversy
D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation is considered a landmark American film that ushered in many of the hallmarks of classic Hollywood cinema. It is preserved in the National Film Registry and is listed in the top 100 films of all time by AMC cable channel and the AFI (American Film Institute). Yet it is also a film which advocates white supremacy and lionizes the Klu Klux Klan. Can such a film truly be great? Why or why not? What about other films such the Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will a film that trumpets Nazi ideology and celebrates Adolph Hitler? Do political and moral statements matter in an artwork? Or is it enough to be technically and artistically brilliant? Can an artwork's message trump its style?
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I believe that a film can be great and not have a great message. Birth of a Nation introduces the concept of a longer film with a strong plot that can be followed and a lot of different editing techniques. These characteristics of the movie are what made the movie great for its time. It introduced the usage of many techniques and ability to create a plot that inspired many movie makers in the future. However what does not make this movie great is the message that it tells. The plot of the movie is easy to follow however; it is not a plot that many people want to pay attention to. It introduces misogynistic and racist views that allow for it to now be acceptable for other movie makers to portray as well. This movie was such a time stamp in the introduction of new editing and the telling of the story of the time. This movie uses black face to portray a biracial man. This act is an artistic choice because they do not actually find a black man to play the role, and it portrays the fact that even a mixed man, because he is even partially African American, he cannot be trusted. It is sad that this movie is considered pivotal for the story it tells and for its creation process and not just the creation of it. However, I do believe that this movie could be considered great for the protests that it sparked and the rage that its message evoked in many Americans.
ReplyDeleteThe Birth a Nation has incredible cinematography for its time, but, while historically significant, it is extremely morally reprehensible. This movie contained many great filming techniques. Firstly, it included the classic chase and run scene that was absent in similar films in the early 1900s. To shoot this type of scene, a second technique such as parallel editing is needed. This type of editing keeps the continuity of the film and changes things up for the audience, making it a more captivating watch. Thirdly, while following the actors throughout the chase and run, both close ups and long shots are used, adding variety and excitement. The close ups helped the audience to understand the emotions of the characters and feel empathy for them during their time of crisis. The long shots helped to better understand the settings and where the scene was taking place. But, the film is nowhere near perfect. Racist sentiments and white supremacy was present in every minute of the film; the white man was heralded as a hero and the African American man was vilified. However, the racism and racial superiority demonstrated served as a window into the past. Nearly every white man, woman, and child was plagued with a similar mentality throughout the entirety of the 20th century. Taking all of the above into consideration, The Birth of a Nation is neither a masterpiece nor an amateur work. The creativity and brilliance of the cinematography is notable, but the overall message is worthy of intense criticism.
ReplyDeleteD.W. Griffith created one of the most controversial films, The Birth of a Nation, when it comes to whether a film can be great when it morally is not. The “heroes” viewed in this film are the member of the Klu Klux Klan, which now in the 21st century, there is a very negative view upon these members. I believe that although the message of this story and the highlighted characters are greatly frowned upon, this film was a one of a kind during its time and impacted the film making industry. There are numerous films that contradict the ideas we have towards certain events and ideas today, but it is our history and most accept the immoral history we have. I believe that although the message of an artist’s artwork is important, it does not have to be the deciding factor of whether it is great or not. The Birth of a Nation changed the film industry with its new style and technique, and although I do not agree with the message I still believe it belongs as a great film.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with some of my other classmate’s thoughts on the controversial film, The Birth of a Nation, who argue that the film is not a “great”. There is no denying that D.W. Griffith’s film was innovative and influential. After all, he invented many techniques, including parallel editing and differentiated framing, which are still used as the cornerstones of modern filming and editing techniques. I believe that in order to be considered an all-time great film its story has to live up favorably to the test of time as many other well-known classics yet if you ask any non-movie geek they will likely have never heard of it. As stated by my classmates, however, there is glaring problem that for me ruins it chance at it being called a great; the rampant racism and glorification of the Ku Klux Klan that defines this movie’s plot. The rampant xenophobia in the film has no doubt snuffed out any possibility of enjoyment from the film other than laughing at the absolute ridiculousness of the racism portrayed and how foreign these views are from those we encounter today. I firmly believe that had the film adopted a more positive or progressive point of view, even for the time of course, it would still be a film widely watched today for its story telling, not just purely for appreciating the innovation of D.W. Griffith’s filming technique. In conclusion the film, The Birth of a Nation, cannot be called a great just because of its influential artistic technique as the story has utterly failed to survive the test of time.
ReplyDeleteThough D.W. Griffith’s, The Birth of a Nation, is a landmark in film editing and history, it should not be considered to be one of the top 100 films of all time, because of the films horrible statement. Like all different types of artwork, film is a tool to send a message to viewers and audiences. Film is simply a vessel for that message therefore it cannot be separated from what it is made for. Though The Birth of a Nation has an unfortunate and terrible meaning, it was a technically brilliant movie that made history in parallel editing. Its use of unique shots and cuts is what made it so well known by film enthusiasts. I do believe that we should preserve the film as a historical piece of film history even though it is hard to disregard its meaning, we cannot pick and choose what parts get preserved. We must also give credit to the film as one of the most influential films all time, but not one of the best films of all time. A film such as this can never be seen as truly great as a film altogether. It can be seen as truly great film in editing, but at the same time a terrible movie in morality. One aspect of a film cannot trump another. For example in history, you cannot choose what part of it you want to see, or it really would not be history. The Birth of a Nation is film history and we should not ignore the ugly truths of what happened in it in order to see it as a great film in total.
ReplyDeleteAlthough D. W. Griffith’s, The Birth of a Nation, idolizes the KKK and white supremacy, it was groundbreaking to the film industry, and changed the way films are recorded today. The film involves countless innovative techniques, one of which is the parallel editing method. This technique allows the viewer to gain suspenseful excitement, and forces them to remain on the edge of their seat. This type of shot shows the viewer what is happening at the same time in different areas of space. Thus allowing the director to create a thrilling chase seen between a young girl and an African American man. While the message of this scene is immoral, the filming and editing is gripping for the viewer, which makes this film brilliant. D. W. Griffith films each character beautifully, capturing the true essence of videography, however he villainies the African American man and worships the Klu Klux Klan. However, due to the innovative techniques and the attention to detail, The Birth of a Nation should be named on the Top 100 American Films list.
ReplyDeleteI think that a film can be great in multiple different ways. With that being said, a film can have revolutionary editing and filming techniques, and still send a horrible message. The Birth of a Nation is a Prime example of this; a revolutionary film, however it sends an appalling message idolizing the KKK, and represents a terrible historical period in which the president of our country would support a film like this. Regardless of the editing and filming wonders the film provides, the message it sends is unacceptable and shouldn’t be praised for that. However, on the other hand, while the film should not be commended for the message it sends, it can still be greatly acclaimed for the revolutions in introduces. The innovations that D.W. Griffith introduced in the film were groundbreaking. The introduction of things such as the parallel, should be highly acclaimed as it is used extensively throughout films in the future. Other techniques such as close ups and long shots allow the viewer to understand the time period better, by showing the characters’ surroundings and their emotions. While these techniques helped emphasize the xenophobic relationships and settings of the time period, they still make the film one of the greatest films ever. This film along with Len Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will, a film that trumpets Nazi ideology, can be repulsive in the message they send, however still go down as great films because of the innovations they introduce and spur. These films introduce new techniques and spur other ones in future films, proving that while a film can be revolting in nature, yet still be undeniably artistically brilliant.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that a film can still be great, despite a bad message. while it is great in many ways, it sends a horrible message that is very difficult for audience members to looks past. In Birth of a Nation the filming techniques were what made it great. Although the film idolized the KKK, it introduced totally new styles that had never been seen before in the film industry. Griffith's techniques were revolutionary. That is what makes the film great. While it is very difficult for viewers to look past the message, if they could, they would be able to recognize the cutting edge style of editing and camera shots. The techniques in this film also set the tone for films in the future. Elements used in Griffith's filming styles are still seen in modern movies, making Birth of a Nation, artistically, a great film.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a film can still be great, despite a bad message. while it is great in many ways, it sends a horrible message that is very difficult for audience members to looks past. In Birth of a Nation the filming techniques were what made it great. Although the film idolized the KKK, it introduced totally new styles that had never been seen before in the film industry. Griffith's techniques were revolutionary. That is what makes the film great. While it is very difficult for viewers to look past the message, if they could, they would be able to recognize the cutting edge style of editing and camera shots. The techniques in this film also set the tone for films in the future. Elements used in Griffith's filming styles are still seen in modern movies, making Birth of a Nation, artistically, a great film.
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ReplyDeleteA film that expresses such a poor message such as D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation cannot be considered truly great even considering its style. The message of this movie is one that is very controversial and in some ways uncomfortable to watch. It is hard to look past the meaning of a film and focus on the style of its production when an ethical group is so horribly discriminated against. When you consider a movie an all-time great it makes it seem like something that people want to look back at and use as an inspiration to replicate when making their own films. The racist views of G.W. Griffith in this film are ones that should never be replicated or looked up upon. The style that this film is often praised for could have been achieved in a way that was much less controversial. Nowadays if a story has a good plot but the editing and sound was terrible it is by no means considered a great movie. The Birth of a Nation is nearly the same scenario but the editing and production were great and the plot was one to forget. I also believe that attempting to forget about these films is also an equally controversial topic. It could look from the outside as if we are trying to act like these controversial films never happened. Rather than praising them as greats and keeping them to show as inspiration, they should be kept for the purpose of acknowledging these wrongful actions. Of course people have the right to express what they want, but when such a discriminating topic is help up on a podium what kind of message will that send to everyone else and to the future?
ReplyDeleteA film that expresses such a poor message such as D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation cannot be considered truly great even considering its style. The message of this movie is one that is very controversial and in some ways uncomfortable to watch. It is hard to look past the meaning of a film and focus on the style of its production when an ethical group is so horribly discriminated against. When you consider a movie an all-time great it makes it seem like something that people want to look back at and use as an inspiration to replicate when making their own films. The racist views of G.W. Griffith in this film are ones that should never be replicated or looked up upon. The style that this film is often praised for could have been achieved in a way that was much less controversial. Nowadays if a story has a good plot but the editing and sound was terrible it is by no means considered a great movie. The Birth of a Nation is nearly the same scenario but the editing and production were great and the plot was one to forget. I also believe that attempting to forget about these films is also an equally controversial topic. It could look from the outside as if we are trying to act like these controversial films never happened. Rather than praising them as greats and keeping them to show as inspiration, they should be kept for the purpose of acknowledging these wrongful actions. Of course people have the right to express what they want, but when such a discriminating topic is help up on a podium what kind of message will that send to everyone else and to the future?
ReplyDeleteI will admit that Birth of a Nation was a major breakthrough when it comes to the technical aspect of film and the structure of modern film. HOWEVER, the message that the film sends is too central to the point of the piece to be overlooked. Cinematography and editing are both artistic languages, and they convey meaning and story just as effectively as spoken language. Therefor, in the same way that the subject matter of an offensive speech isn't overlooked to praise the writing structure of said speech, a film pushing a horrible message shouldn't be revered for its technicalities. Cinematography and editing are the visual words used to tell the story, and therefor cannot be separated from the message of the piece. The same goes for Triumph of the Will; the film opens with shots of a plane (we find out that it's Hitler's plane) flying through clouds, creating an almost dreamlike state. When the plane lands and Hitler steps out of the plane, we see massive crowds voicing their complete support for him, as well as Hitler seeming to have a centered and almost tender expression towards the crowd. The cinematography, directing, and editing of this sequence alone make one of Europe's cruelest dictators seem like a caring leader. From a historical standpoint, these films were major breakthroughs in cinema. From a "linguistic" (film language) standpoint, they were beautifully executed. However the whole point of their existence was for propaganda promoting oppression and dictatorial power. Because of these reasons, this is why I believe that the message of a film can absolutely trump its artistic style.
ReplyDeleteI think that a film with this kind of message, no matter the time period in which the film was made, the audience, or whatever list it makes in terms of top movies, shouldn't be considered a breakthrough movie. It can in terms of the filming and the techniques. Yes a film can have revolutionary editing and filming techniques, but that's not a justification for the message it's portraying... The Birth of a Nation is a Prime example of this; a revolutionary film, but if the message to not like African Americans... and value the KKK..., that's ignorance at it's finest and only entertaining those involved in the ignorance. A top film should not only have techniques of filming that are superb or different from other films, but also appeal to any audience or can connect to its viewers.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when a film such as D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation depicts the type of message that it does it cannot truly be considered great. Although technically and artistically “The Birth of a Nation” was great I don’t think that you can simply overlook the fact that it depicts the klu klux klan as heroes. The theme of a film is too vital to simply look past it and in D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation the message takes away from the groundbreaking cinematography that the film has. This also applies to other films, political and moral statements are just simply too important to a film and shouldn’t be overlooked no matter how good the cinematography is.
ReplyDeleteThe Birth of a Nation has without a doubt paved the way for future movies to make use of its innovative cuts and camera angles. Often times people are willing to overlook something because it is grouped into a category. For example the birth of a nation portrays the Klu Klux Klan as the protagonists of the film. However looking past the ramifications of such portrayals we find a cinematography masterpiece. No matter how racist or prejudiced Griffith may have been no one an argue what he did for cinema. That’s why his film is and always should be remembered as great not for what it stood for but for what it opened our eyes to, the endless possibilities in the world of cinema. In some films the political motivations must be considered however when a film does as much as Griffiths does for the industry. That is when political motivations are brushed aside so artists art work can be reveled.
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