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Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It was good during the civil war part. I liked the big battle scenes and the story during that part was interesting enough and everything, but then the second half started and I thought at first maybe the director was going for something that was actually pro-rights for African Americans but then I noticed all the black face, and then the story takes a much darker tone that really wasn't necessary, accurate, and came from a place of ignorance. I know it was a different time, but as the highest selling silent movie of all time, I guess I was expecting something, you know...less racist. Anyway, I guess that shows you that controversy sells tickets, if nothing else.

As a white young man, I am stuck in between on whether or not I am a racist for contributing the Birth of the Nation with a perfect score. Again, as a white young man, I am still a racist, no matter what. However, the point of this statement as if it's a racist for loving this film. This review intended to break down the reasons why I rated a perfect score to justify the fact that it didn't increase my view of myself as a racist. D. W. Griffin demonstrated his clear intention to direct this film to support the promotion of the Ku Klux Klan and the white supremacy. As a further matter, he was known as a Civil Hero who fought for the Confederate had rationalized his motive to be the director. It portrayed his pride of KKK for their accomplishment to bring back the white supremacy after the Civil War. He, indeed, possessed a gifted talent in his abilities to create a powerful influence in both categories (history and cinemas). In an aspect of the films, this movie took the first step to open the gate for the success in Hollywood. In other words, it considered as one of the most innovative movies in the cinema's history. Before this, the movie length of longer than one hour was unheard. The Birth of the Nation is probably one of the longest films (+3 hours), even in today's cinemas. Also, it's unbelievable by the fact that it excelled in nearly all aspects of production, including excellent acting and editing, in 1915. The Birth of the Nation is a requirement to see for the history buffs. It's impossible to find someone who could act like Abraham Lincoln better than Joseph Henabery. I found myself lucky to watch Lincoln (2012) before I could watch this or it would bring me a disappointment. For the history buffs, moreover, the Birth of the Nation reflected the accurate timeline in between before the Civil War and after the birth of KKK. It also portrayed the honest perspective of the society during these periods. Black Americans weren't allowed to be in the movies. White Americans took the floor as they painted black on themselves. I feel it's one of the positive assets to justify the progressive society by proving the White Americans clearly couldn't act like the Black Americans since the Black Americans have own unique attributes. The film of the battles in Civil War was marvelous. It's a 1915 version of the war film in comparison with the Saving the Private Ryan (1998). I still remember my reaction when I first saw the Saving the Private Ryan. It blew my mind away. In the meantime, I couldn't imagine how people would react to the Birth of the Nation in 100 years ago. No wonder that it contained a powerful influence to push further apart the gap between the Black and White Americans. It affected my curiosity about how much did it factor to the racial segregation. Yes, again, the reason for stating my curiosity is to indicate the effects of dominance in persuasion from the Birth of the Nation. I wish I could go on and on, but this review intended to reveal my viewpoint as a white young man. I insisted on repeating referred as a white YOUNG man because I'm still uneducated in regards to racism. However, it played a significant part to my willingness to learn and become a better person.My perceptions of the Birth of the Nation are meaningful to me. It gave me the better understanding of the society during these periods. The explanation of the birth and evolution of KKK was perfect. It didn't lie about the motives that led the KKK to oppress the Black Americans. The impactful moment was when Black Americans were finally empowered to include the politics. The pathway seemed to be reaching a light at the end of the tunnel after a very long journey, but the birth of the KKK prolonged the pathway in the tunnel. Black Americans were held back in every aspect of privileges in the United States. At the end of the film, it showed the celebration of accomplishments of white supremacy. Cowardly and selfish were the main impression that I get. It led me to my realization that the racism, sexism, and all the -isms started by the fear among White Americans with the full privileges. The reality of the truth gave me the realistic depth of understanding what went on in the society during the periods of slavery, civil war, and the birth of KKK. Looking back, the sign of progressive society is active, but the vigorous motives, such as cowardly, fear, and selfish, had slackened the progress towards equality. I disagreed with the conversancy that this film should be banned or else because I wouldn't want to stick with my state of mind before I watch this. It's, no doubt, an ultimate masterpiece of KKK propaganda. However, in my eyes, it had become one of the masterpieces ever in the education history. It's a must recommendation for my circle of friends to watch.

As a piece of technical film making, it is an amazing achievement for its time. As a piece of narrative storytelling, it is the most absurdly racist pile of garbage I've ever seen. I understand this movie's importance in the history of film, but as a balance between craft and subject matter, the putrid vile that is the latter undercuts the historical significance of the former.1/10...but that's just like, my opinion, man# Of Times Watched: Once

Based on the 1905 novel "The Clansman" by Thomas F. Dixon, Jr., this silent film epic is as brilliantly made as it is incredibly racist. It has often been hailed as one of the most important films in cinematic history because of the techniques that its director D. W. Griffith, a master of his craft, pioneered while working on it. Many of the techniques that audiences now take for granted such as long shots, pan shots and frequent use of intercutting made their first appearance here. The battle scenes are thrilling, beautifully staged and surprisingly violent for the time. The script by Griffith and Frank E. Woods is very well structured and, while it inspired many feelings in me, boredom was not one of them. The film depicts a version of the United States, North and South, and its people, black and white, which only ever existed in the minds of bitter Southerners. Its warped, ahistorical treatment of race relations led to widespread protests by the NAACP, riots in several major cities and, according to one report, the murder of a black teenager by a white man as a direct result of the latter watching the film (though the evidence is less than conclusive). The film has also been blamed for contributing to the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, which had essentially ceased to exist in the 1870s but returned with a vengeance over the course of the next few years. The storyline follows two families, the Northern Stonemans and the Southern Camerons, who are acquainted as a result of the fact that the eldest sons attended boarding school together. The film's first half concerns the prelude to the Civil War and the war itself while the second concerns Reconstruction. Austin Stoneman, played by Ralph Lewis, is the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a thinly veiled version of the Radical Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, even possessing a club foot. Like Stevens, Stoneman is not only an abolitionist but believes that blacks and whites are equal. As such, he is one of the major villains of the piece. The other major villain, his biracial protégé Silas Lynch, does not appear until the second half but he is depicted as being a truly evil, venomous character who seeks to create a Black Empire in the South with himself as its king. The only other African-American shown to have any real intelligence is Stoneman's housekeeper Lydia Brown, who is likewise biracial. Based on Stevens' housekeeper and alleged lover Lydia Hamilton Smith, she only appears briefly but she is clearly intended as a Lady Macbeth type who manipulates Stoneman into going along with her ideas of equality. Most of the other black characters are depicted as being ultra- violent, cruel, detestable and sometimes little more than animals. In one particularly disturbing scene, a black renegade named Gus - played by Walter Long in blackface - attempts to rape the fragile waif Flora Cameron, ultimately driving her to commit suicide. The implication of this scene is clear: black men will rape and kill every white Southern woman unless the KKK does something about them. It's one of the most sickening sequences in a film which has no shortage of them, particularly in its second half. The only black characters portrayed in a sympathetic light are the Camerons' "faithful souls" - perfect illustrations of the Mammy and Uncle stereotypes - and various slaves who were much happier before they were freed. The majority of the black characters are played by white actors in blackface but there are many black extras in the background. They were probably glad to get some work but I have to wonder what they thought of the film, especially Madame Sul-Te-Wan whose parents were freed slaves.Although the film is perhaps best remembered for its glorification of the KKK, they do not actually appear until 2 hours and 5 minutes into the 3 hour and 13 minute running time but they certainly make their presence felt after that. They are described as "the organisation that saved the South from the anarchy of black rule" and that really says it all when it comes to the film's attitude towards them. They are depicted performing several supposedly heroic feats such as hanging Gus, dumping his corpse on Lynch's doorstep and rescuing the bound and gagged Elsie Stoneman before she can be forced into marrying Lynch. The Klan's founder is Elsie's lover Ben Cameron, otherwise known as "the Little Colonel."One thing that surprised me was the fact that Abraham Lincoln was treated very positively with Dr. Cameron even describing him as "our best friend" when it comes to Reconstruction. There are some moments that seemed genuine such as Phil Stoneman and Margaret Cameron's shy interaction when they first meet and Elsie putting on a brave face as her three brothers leave for war before bursting into tears the moment that they leave. It's a lovely little moment which is wonderfully acted by Lillian Gish. Although most of the characters are misconceived to some degree, the film nevertheless has a very strong cast: Miriam Cooper as Margaret, Henry B. Walthall as Colonel Cameron, Mary Alden as Lydia Brown, Ralph Lewis as Stoneman, Elmer Clifton as Phil, Spottiswoode Aitken as Dr. Cameron and Josephine Crowell as Mrs. Cameron.Overall, neither the importance of the film nor its racism have been exaggerated. I think Roger Ebert said it best: "Like Riefenstahl's 'The Triumph of the Will', it is a great film that argues for evil. To understand how it does so is to learn a great deal about film, and even something about evil."I'm sort of torn about how to rate this film. In terms of quality, I'd give it 10/10. If I were to rate it in terms of morality (something that I have never done before and may never do again), I'd give it 0/10.