...BIRTH OF A NATION Birth of a Nation is a movie released in 1915 and based on Thomas Dixon’s novel The clansman. It is a silent black and white movie and it runs more than 3hours. It was directed by David Wake Griffith, who did other films which were far less successful than Birth of a Nation. For this film, more than 10 000 people were casted, and it took around three years to make it. It is considered one of the most significant film in American history ;even considered as the first real film produced as it was seen by millions more people than had ever seen other movie. Its nowadays studied as a masterpiece of political propaganda but back then,for many people it was seen as « writing history with Lightning » as President Wilson stated. THE PLOT TRAILER Birth of a nation , for its lenght and fast pace,has a rich and very complex storyline. It is divided in two parts ; the first part takes place during the Civil War and the second part during The Reconstruction. Briefly summed up, it narrates the story of 2 families, on one side we have The Northern Stoneman’s who are pro union and come from Washington DC. Austin Stoneman, the father of the family is an abolitonist leader in the House of representatives. He has three children ; a daughter Elsie and two sons Phil and Tod. on the other side we have the Camerons who are Pro Confederacy. They own slaves and live in a plantation in South Carolina. Their slaves are depicted as happy and life as peaceful. The...
Words: 727 - Pages: 3
..."Birth of a Nation" by D. W. Griffith was a great masterpiece. It was one of the most technologically advanced films ever made for it's time period. The film paved the way for the great film industry: showing its audiences the longest film they had ever seen and the most eventful. "Birth of a Nation" had such an impact on the American people that excluding "Gone With the Wind" it is thought to have the greatest influence on how Americans view that time period. "Birth of a Nation" is often seen as a leading cause in the race riots, rise of the KKK and segregation of the 1920's. Griffith was able to make such an influentially film by using noteworthy themes, distinct and believable messages and anachronistic cinematic techniques. The themes in "Birth of a Nation" concentrate on race, class, gender, and region, the most influential and important theme being that blacks are stupid, crazy men who only want one thing: white women. Conversely, whites are portrayed as the "the helpless white minority". Griffith shows a black court and legislature, both are shown as an "outrage". The black men are loud, disorderly and drunk. In the legislature their "big" vote overrides the decision that black men cannot marry white women. On the street the stupid and drunk blacks are shown voting in a disrespectful and uncaring way, and the reformed and educated white males are seen not being able to vote. Griffith exaggerates true facts about confederate soldiers not being able to participate in the...
Words: 338 - Pages: 2
...The African Americans: The Birth of Equality after 1865 Leonard Stinson HIS204: American History Since 1865 Instructor John Durr December 5th, 2011 The African Americans: The Birth of Equality after 1865 This was a time when America was trying to find herself. These were the years known as the Reconstruction Period from 1865-1877. During this time period, the African-American people became free from slavery but one can only imagine what free really is. While the nation search for ways to establish true meaning of equality, African-American people continued to struggle to find out just what equality means and to have the same rights and freedom as the white people in the nation. Whether as slaves or free people, the political and social status of African Americans has always been to obtain the ability to participate in the nation’s economy. While many historians believe that slavery and politics can be attributed to the Civil War, more than 600,000 Americans died and with the help of the Emancipation Proclamation to start the motion to free the slaves, America became even more a divided country in 1865 than the previous earlier years (Bowles, 2011). Although freedom in the post-Civil War years did not guarantee equality, African Americans continued to struggle from racism, segregation and discrimination for many years, but the birth of equality is beginning to grow and show that all men and women are created equal. The effort to integrate...
Words: 3595 - Pages: 15
...Racism has been around since the beginning of time. Basically if you had a skin tone darker than the shade of white, you were inferior. Times have now changed, but there are remnants of this subject everywhere, even in film. The movie Birth of a Nation is considered one of the greatest films of all time, even with these themes. AMC’s Filmsite even has it listed within the 100 Greatest Films of All Time. Another movie with the some of the same themes is Blazing Saddles. Blazing Saddles does not have the same stature as Birth of a Nation, but it does deserve to be higher in the canon. I do believe that Blazing Saddles does not have the same stature because it is a comedy with crude humor and because it has a black sheriff as the protagonist. The D. W. Griffith film was considered controversial and is still considered controversial to this day. Basically it paints the story of the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. Of course the KKK members were the heroes of the story and saved everyone from harm. The film uses white actors painted in black face to portray freed slaves. It also portrays them as savages and rapists. There was not one “black” person in the film that wasn’t considered a villain. During the voting scene, blacks were seen taking over the polls while the whites had their votes taken away. One quote in the movie when talking about a village says, “In the villages the negroes were the office holders, men who knew none of the uses of authority.” The freed slaves were just looked...
Words: 1325 - Pages: 6
...1) Describe the three basic types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era and cites specific examples from The Birth of a Nation. (10 points) 1-2 ¶‘s * Adaption is one basic type of music heard during the silent film era. With adaptation you borrow substantial portions of existing music, usually classical, for use in film score. The music should remain largely in tack, although it can be altered or adapted to fit the film. Some examples of adaption can be heard in The Birth of a Nation, one is the use symphony No.6 by Ludwig van Beethoven and another is Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner. The latter serving as a leitmotif for the ride of the KKK. * Arrangement is another basic type of music heard during the silent film era. With arrangement you also borrow music, unlike adaption though, you only borrow melodies, usually well known, and create new accompaniments and arrangement to it. The Birth of a Nation also uses arrangements such as popular southern tunes like “Dixie” and “Maryland, My Maryland”(the same melody as “O Christmas Tree”). * Lastly, original Music was also heard in original score during the silent film era. As the name implies this is music written specifically for the film and is not borrowed from other previously composed music. This type of music is also expressed in The Birth of a Nation. Carl Breil who wrote the score created numerous leitmotifs for characters in the movie such as Elsie’s, a playful tune to suggest...
Words: 381 - Pages: 2
...History in The Birth of a Nation, D. W. Griffith. Leticia Vázquez Soriano Literatura y cine en países de habla inglesa: interrelación semiótica y narrativa 18th January, 2012 Curso 2011-2012 Index Introduction........................................................ pp. 1 Historical filmic context...................................... pp. 3 History in the film............................................... pp. 4 Use of intertitles...................................... pp. 5 Free interpretation of facts..................... pp. 7 Fiction mixed with reality........................ pp. 8 The film as history............................................... pp. 10 An autonomous language........................ pp. 10 Critical reception......................................pp. 14 The cinema: a mass spectacle.................. pp. 15 Bibliography......................................................... pp. 17 Introduction In this essay I am going to talk about history in The Birth of a Nation by David Wark Griffith. By “history” I mean: the historical filmic context of the film, which was released in 1915. I am going to show how history is represented in the film. We can see some facts that may have been changed in some aspects in order to guide our minds to what the director want us to think. We also find, as a method to support this, the introduction of fictional characters in some much known historical events of the United States. To end with, I am going...
Words: 6547 - Pages: 27
...In addition, the film starts 22 years earlier in 1809 when a young Nat turner witnessed the cruelty and reality of slavery. The story than prevails forward 22 years where the audience than witness Turner become a powerful preacher and meet a women who he soon falls in love with. Later on the crowd sees how Turner was used by slave owners to playmate angry slaves. They ordered him to use his religious background in order to convince the slaves that if they wish to make it to heaven than the “Bible” says they must obey their masters. “The Birth of a Nation” is a revenge movie for a distressed time in American history, when those who would “take back America” encounter extensive pushback from people who never got their turn at the wheel. The...
Words: 299 - Pages: 2
...The portrayal of a barbaric black race in this film contradicts the responsibility that the white man has entrusted us since first we set foot in this country. Black women raised and acted as wet nurses for white children, they cooked meals, cleaned and cared for your worldly goods. Black men worked the land and kept livestock. The film insults the very race trusted with matters that an intelligent well informed person holds close to the heart. The truths in The Birth of a Nation are conveniently distorted to add to the lies of its message. As mentioned by Claire Schmidt, fried chicken would have been a popular food choice in the South. Chickens would have been cheap and easily managed. The movie exploits the fact that fried...
Words: 277 - Pages: 2
...The documentary I chose to watch for this assignment was the film 13th. The film, which entails the discussion of the 13th amendment, talks about the racial inequality in America and the rising prison incarceration rates that have resulted due to many factors, such as the vagueness of the 13th amendment. The film includes a variety of speakers to discuss the issue. One of the claims made by a speaker was the claim that the 1915 film “Birth of a Nation” was almost directly responsible for the rebirth of the KKK in the 20th century. The speaker elaborated on this claim by saying the film depicted certain actions that the KKK committed later on, such as burning crosses. It was described as “life imitating art”. In addition, terroristic actions committed by the KKK were said to be more accepted by society because of the film. Another claim made in the documentary was the claim that legal segregation between whites and African Americans was a more formal method of terrorism. This claim was backed up by the fact that segregation laws were passed specifically to push blacks to a lower class than whites. Although by definition terrorism is technically...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...The Birth of Nation (2016) is a movie about the slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in Southampton County. Nat Turner is an enslaved Baptist preacher who lives on a Virginia plantation owned by Samuel Turner. With the rumors of uprising in the air, Nate is convinced by Samuel to sermonize other slaves. As Nate witnesses the horrific treatment of his fellow man, he realizes that he can no longer just stand by and preach. In this essay, I will be talking about the variance within slavery depicted in the movie. Nat Turner is a slave of Samuel Turner, who is a wealthy man in Virginia. He had a lot of slaves under him. Samuel Turner usually treated his slaves in all fairness. The slaves had a proper place to live and had specific duties assigned to them. Moreover, Nat was helped by Samuel Turner’s family to learn to read and...
Words: 695 - Pages: 3
...The three basic types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era were adaptations of classics, arrangements of tunes, and newly composed. Adaptations of classics are the borrowing of a substantial portion of an existing composition for use in a film score. The music should remain largely intact and recognizable, although it can be altered or adapted to suit the needs of the film. Arrangements of tunes are a new setting of a previously composed melody. Unlike an adaption, in an arrangement the film composer borrows only the melody and creates a new accomplishment. Newly composed are themes that represent aspect of the story. Themes can be altered to reflect changes in story. Adaptations are among the most prominent adaptations are passages from Weber’s Der Freischutz, Suppe’s Light Calvary Overture, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (the storm), and Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyrie. The last of these serve as a spirited leitmotif for the ride of the KKK. The arrangements of well-known melodies are used primarily to arouse emotions and set moods. Southern tunes, such as “Dixie,” “Maryland, My Maryland”, and “Old Folks at Home” express stirring patriotism for the South while reminding the viewer of the story’s setting. Other patriotic melodies include “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “America the Beautiful,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” When the Southerner Cameron seeks refuge in a cabin with the former Union soldiers, their acceptance of each...
Words: 278 - Pages: 2
...arrangements of popular tunes, and newly composed music. All three of these different types of music are present in The Birth of the Nation. Adaptions of classical works were used to build tension and set the tone for dramatic scenes. In lighter and more uplifting scenes, the use of arrangements of popular tunes is used to spark emotion and create a much lighter mood. The theme of this movie was created through the use of original newly composed music and reflects the development of the story. 2. 1. The three different types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era are adaption of classics, arrangements of popular tunes, and newly composed music. All three of these different types of music are present in The Birth of the Nation. Adaptions of classical works were used to build tension and set the tone for dramatic scenes. In lighter and more uplifting scenes, the use of arrangements of popular tunes is used to spark emotion and create a much lighter mood. The theme of this movie was created through the use of original newly composed music and reflects the development of the story. 2. 1. The three different types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era are adaption of classics, arrangements of popular tunes, and newly composed music. All three of these different types of music are present in The Birth of the Nation. Adaptions of classical works were used to build tension and set the tone for dramatic scenes. In lighter and more uplifting...
Words: 2355 - Pages: 10
...in original scores during the silent film era and cites specific examples from The Birth of a Nation. (10 points) The three basic types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era are adaption, arrangement, and original music. Adaption follows the strategy of borrowing pieces of existing music. The pieces do maintain majority of their original structure, but may be tweaked to the fit the film better. “Symphony No. 6”, by Ludwig Van Beethoven, is a great illustration of this in Birth of a Nation. The second type of music, arrangement, also follows the strategy of borrowed pieces, however it only uses the melody of the track. The melody is then altered with new accompaniments and arrangements. The Birth of a Nation shows this idea through “Maryland, My Maryland”, which utilizes the same melody as “O Christmas Tree”. Finally, original music was used, consisting of pieces written specifically for the film. Carl Breil, the score composer for Birth of a Nation, demonstrates this type of music through many leitmotifs paired with certain characters throughout the movie. For example, Elsie’s joyous and naïve tune. With adaptation you borrow substantial portions of existing music, usually classical, for use in film score. The music should remain largely in tack, although it can be altered or adapted to fit the film. Some examples of adaption can be heard in The Birth of a Nation, one is the use symphony No.6 by Ludwig van Beethoven and another is Ride of the Valkyries...
Words: 517 - Pages: 3
...the process by which a nation/country moves from high birth rate and high death rates to low birth and low death rates as the growth population in the interim (Weeks, 2005). Some of the nations that have gone through this transitions are; Canada, Germany, United States and England. The demographic transition to an industrialized society is harmful to the environment. Industrialized countries also have the largest ecological and carbon footprint comparative to developing/non-industrialized nations. Nevertheless, demographic transitions have some notable advantages. Countries that have gone through demographic transitions have low birth and death rates. Citizens in industrialized nations have fewer children thus it is easier to control the population size (Dyson, 2010). The following is the demographic and environmental timeline of Germany between 1800 to date. STAGE YEAR SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY Stage 1 1800 Major Historical Changes: The country is resisting Napoleon, who wants to take control of Germany and cities such as Austria. Prussia provides military education to its military before it defeats Austria and France in the war. The country is under Ottoman Bismarck who improves it by introducing Liberal measures and welfare policies such as insurance for workers against illness and accidents. Changing Population Size: There is a decrease in population due to such wars between Napoleon and other cities, Prussia and France, Prussia and Austria. Birth and Death Rates: There...
Words: 897 - Pages: 4
...The population explosion in the last one hundred years is a well-documented, and well-examined subject matter. All sorts of agencies have devoted time and resources to studying, problematizing, and strategizing in order to deal with the threat of overpopulation. Diverse groups, including the United Nations, have developed plans to encourage population control and decreased fertility rates. I will not go into the specifics of these plans here, as I will be examining them in detail in my presentation next week. However, I will say that population control in Third World nations have become an essential component of public policy, and have taken on many forms around the world. However, it seems possible that we are all jumping the gun. What if the population explosion is a self-correcting problem? There is some evidence that global fertility rates are naturally declining, even in areas without family planning and population control. Could the improved health and education in many countries be achieving this goal without specific population control measures? Or else, are changes in the environment simply lowering human’s fertility? In addition, some people argue that it doesn’t matter how whether the population is exploding. There are those proponents of the “tech-fix,” who believe that human ingenuity is capable of dealing with any human population, and therefore the population explosion is not a problem. Malthusians are faced with many opponents in the modern day, and it does not...
Words: 1222 - Pages: 5
