D.W. Griffith's silent classic The Birth of a Nation is simultaneously one of the most highly regarded and most deeply reviled films in the history of cinema. As this wonderful Blu-ray presentation from Kino Lorber makes clear, the film is deserving of both the praise and the revulsion. From a cinematic standpoint, it is a landmark epic which forever changed the motion picture industry. At the same time it is one of the most offensive, racist and historically dubious films ever made - in effect, a paean to the Ku Klux Klan. For all its faults, it is essential viewing for any serious student of film.
The Birth of a Nation
Studio: Kino Lorber
Year: 1915
Rated: Not Rated
Program Length: 192 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 1080p
Languages: Silent; Musical Score in DTS-HD 5.1 MA and 2.0 Stereo PCM
Subtitles: None
The Program
D.W. Griffith's silent classic The Birth of a Nation is simultaneously one of the most highly regarded and most deeply reviled films in the history of cinema. As this wonderful Blu-ray presentation from Kino Lorber makes clear, the film is deserving of both the praise and the revulsion. From a cinematic standpoint, it is a landmark epic which forever changed the motion picture industry. At the same time it is one of the most offensive, racist and historically dubious films ever made - in effect, a paean to the Ku Klux Klan. For all its faults, it is essential viewing for any serious student of film. As James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, put it in 1992, "Bigoted and racist as its treatment is of African Americans, The Birth of a Nation is an inescapable part of our history."
The film is based upon the 1905 novel "The Clansman" by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Dixon, an evangelist, became incensed after attending a stage production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and vowed to write a novel which would tell "the true story of slavery and Reconstruction." The novel was turned into a stage play in 1906 and Griffith spent much of 1914 attending to the daunting task of adapting it into a three-hour feature film. Griffith was himself a southerner from Kentucky whose father had been an officer in the Confederate Army. He grew up listening to tales about the Civil War, and Dixon's novel seemed to confirm much of what he had been told. Nevertheless, an announcement at the beginning of the film demonstrates that the director knew that The Birth of a Nation would be controversial:
"We do not fear censorship for we have no work 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 illustrate the right side of virtue, and 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."
The Birth of a Nation focuses on the disastrous effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction upon two families, the Stonemans from the North and the Camerons from the South. Austin Stoneman (Ralph Lewis), clearly based upon the abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, has become the leader of the House of Representatives as Abraham Lincoln begins his first term as President in 1861. Dr. Cameron (Spottiswoode Aitken) is a wealthy but kindly slaveholder in Piedmont, South Carolina. The eldest sons of both families, Ben Cameron (Henry Walthall) and Phil Stoneman (Elmer Clifton) attended school together and have become close friends. Ben carries with him a photograph of Phil's sister, Elsie (Lillian Gish), even though he has never had the opportunity to meet her. When Phil visits the Camerons in South Carolina he becomes smitten with Ben's older sister, Margaret (Mirriam Cooper). Ben also has a vivacious younger sister, Flora (Mae Marsh).
The racial stereotypes emerge almost immediately. It is strongly suggested that Stoneman is having an affair with his mulatto housekeeper, Lydia (Mary Alden). The slaves on the Cameron plantation are cheerful and obsequious, happily spending a two-hour dinner break from their twelve-hour work day by dancing and otherwise entertaining their owners. This romanticized view of slavery leaves no room for any nuanced examination of the "peculiar institution." The beginning of the Civil War is treated perfunctorily, with a nod to state sovereignty but no mention of Fort Sumter. Ben and his younger brothers march off to war in anticipation of glory, cheered on by whites and slaves alike. The battle scenes are brilliantly conceived and staged, and the deprivations experienced by the people of the South as the war drags on are portrayed effectively. However, we get a hint of what is to come when a company of Union "guerillas," made up mostly of black soldiers, attacks Piedmont. The black soldiers go on a rampage, ransacking the Cameron house for no apparent reason other than that they enjoy being destructive.
President Lincoln is determined to treat the vanquished Confederates with magnanimity, but those plans go for naught when he is assassinated at Ford's Theater in Washington, a scene which is re-created with astonishing realism. Stoneman seizes upon this development to consolidate power for himself and to "put the white South under the heel of the black South." Stoneman appoints his mulatto protégé, Silas Lynch (George Siegmann), to organize the freed slaves in the South and have them take over the state governments. It is during the second act of The Birth of a Nation where the film turns very ugly. Newly elected black legislators are depicted acting raucously while in session. They are portrayed drinking flasks of liquor at their desks while eating fried chicken and removing their shoes. Blacks, supposedly stirred up by the repeal of the ban on interracial marriage, are shown lusting after white women. For his part, Lynch has his eyes on Stoneman's daughter, Elsie (he tells her "I will build a Black Empire and you as my queen shall rule by my side"), and a renegade black named Gus (Walter Long) literally pursues Flora Cameron. The downtrodden whites have no choice but to fight back, and Ben Cameron is inspired to form the Ku Klux Klan. The blatant racism of the second act of The Birth of a Nation is emphasized by the fact that all of the principal black characters are played by white actors in blackface, which gives the viewer an uncomfortable feeling of watching a perverse minstrel show.
From a purely cinematic perspective, the film was an astonishing achievement in 1915 and continues to be impressive today. It is not a perfect film - the narrative meanders at times, and some scenes go on too long and would have benefited from more judicious cutting - but it remains compelling on many levels. However, there is widespread belief that The Birth of a Nation encouraged the resurgence of the Klan in the first half of the 20th century, with tragic results. As historian Leon Litwack has written, "And for much of the twentieth century, The Birth of a Nation molded and reinforced racial stereotypes, distorting the physical appearance of black men and women, making a mockery of their lives and aspirations, and fixing in the public mind the image of a race of inferiors - sometimes amusing and comical, sometimes brutal and subhuman, but in either case less than white men and women."
However one feels about The Birth of a Nation, this new release from Kino appears to be the definitive version, with original titles and intertitles and the longest running time of the film which I have seen on home video.
The Video
It is important to note that this Blu-ray has been mastered from archival 35mm elements, but those sources are nearly 100 years old and the result is not pristine. Wear is evident throughout, although in some respects this actually enhances the viewing experience because it is, after all, an artifact of a bygone era. The images contain marks and scratches, but they are generally stable and free from flutter, and the sharpness afforded by Blu-ray technology is very satisfying. The film is accurately framed in its original aspect ration of 1.33:1. Contrast is generally strong, although it goes a bit soft in places. For the most part, the outdoor scenes are tinted and the indoor scenes are in black and white. This is certainly an upgrade over the 1993 restoration, the DVD of which is included in this three-disc set.
The Audio
The wonderful score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra is presented both in 5.1 DTS-HD MA and 2.0 PCM stereo. Both formats are excellent and choosing one over the other will depend upon personal taste. Although the score technically is new, it is adapted entirely of music from the era when The Birth of a Nation first played in theaters around the country.
The Supplements
The single Blu-ray disc contains just a few extras, but it is supplemented by a fine collection of special features on two DVDs.
The Blu-ray extras consist primarily of a spoken introduction by D.W. Griffith and Walter Huston which was produced for the 1930 re-release of The Birth of a Nation. It is rather odd, purporting to be part of a conversation between Huston and Griffith about Griffith's background and how it influenced the film. It was split into two parts, with one part shown before the opening credits and one shown before the beginning of the film's Reconstruction act. It is in excellent condition. Viewers may be dumbfounded to hear Griffith refer to the suicidal Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg as "a beautiful thing." Also included is the opening credits sequence for the 1930 re-release of the film. The packaging refers to this as an intermission sequence, but the Blu-ray's menu identifies it as the title sequence which clearly is correct.
The first DVD presents the complete 1993 restoration of the film, which has a running time of 187 minutes. This version has previously been released on DVD. It features Joseph Carl Breil's adaptation of the original score and is presented in 2.0 stereo. Also included is the 24-minute "making of" featurette which was produced in 1993.
The second DVD includes seven Civil War shorts made by D.W. Griffith in 1910 and 1911. These shorts have running times ranging from 11 minutes to 17 minutes, and it is easy to see how those experiences laid the groundwork for the shooting of The Birth of a Nation. "New York vs. The Birth of a Nation" is a revealing interactive feature which reproduces archival documents about the controversy which arose over the film's re-release in 1922. The NAACP made an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to have the film banned in New York, objecting to it as a virtual recruiting film for the Ku Klux Klan. Griffith defended by film by somewhat disingenuously arguing that the Ku Klux Klan of Reconstruction and the KKK of the 20th century were two entirely different organizations. While his argument was technically true, the distinction undoubtedly was lost on southern blacks who were the victims of KKK lynchings.
The second DVD also includes a fascinating collection of movie posters, lobby cards, still photos, and excerpts from souvenir programs. Kino Lorber also has included excerpts from Thomas Dixon's novel, excerpts which make the film almost seem enlightened by comparison. Finally, there is a reproduction of an article about the film which appeared in Photoplay magazine in 1916.
The Packaging
The three discs are securely held in a flipper Blu-ray keep case, which in turn comes in a fairly sturdy cardboard slipcase.
The Final Analysis
For all of the reasons pointed out in this review, The Birth of a Nation continues to be one of the most controversial motion pictures ever made. But however objectionable its point of view, and no matter how it distorts the history of Reconstruction, it remains one of the most important films ever made. For that reason this superb Blu-ray/DVD set from Kino Lorber is a welcome addition, and it is essential viewing for any serious student of film.
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player
Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specifications by Gregg Loewen
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: November 22, 2011
) Thank whomever pre-order price on Amazon got reasonable.
