The Birth of a Nation

Apart from being the first full-length feature film in American cinema, The Birth of a Nation is also one of the most controversial and influential. Based on The Clansman by Thomas Dixon, which was both a play and book, the film is known now as Hollywood's first blockbuster. The cinematic achievements pairs with the controversial nature of the film to make it one of the most spoken-about films of all time. Though it is a silent film, the object and subjects are clear.

Most obvious in the movie is its promotion of white supremacy. Circling around the Ku Klux Klan, the story line glorifies the white supremacists. It is a long film, separated by an intermission. Part one takes place in pre-Civil War focusing on two families, the Stonemans and the Camerons. At the start of the War, the boys of the family join their respective armies. A militia of black soldiers try to break into the Cameron household to rape the women but are defeated by Confederate soldiers. Many