History Film / TheBirthOfANation

->--'''Cracked''', [[http://www.cracked.com/article_19826_6-iconic-scenes-ripped-off-from-lesser-known-movies_p2.html 6 Iconic Scenes Ripped Off From Lesser Known Movies]]

The plot of ''The Birth of a Nation'' is a two-part chronicle of American history. The first part depicts the nation before, during, and after UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar, from the perspective of two juxtaposed families - the Northern Stonemans, who are abolitionists and federalists, and the Southern Camerons, who are secessionists. When war breaks out, the houses must send their sons off to their respective opposing armies. The Camerons suffer many hardships in the war torn and depleted South, and must deal with hunger, ransackers, looters, and rapists. Eventually, the Union army crushes the Confederacy, ending the war. President Abraham Lincoln promises to rebuild the South, in spite of protests from vengeful Northern politicians who would execute its leaders and treat the land as conquered territory. But Abraham Lincoln is assassinated at Ford's Theater, allowing the Radical Republicans, led by Austin Stoneman, to gain strength and support for inflicting punitive measures on the South for their rebellion.

This film is in the public domain and can be viewed in its entirety on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=302YMeiDSrI Youtube]].

* AllIsWellThatEndsWell: Though whether it ends well or not depends a lot on your perspective

** In truth, Gus, Flora's would-be rapist, comes across more as an unwashed (white) coal miner than as a truly black man.

* LoveAtFirstSight: For both of our couples.

* {{Melodrama}}: Especially in the second half.

* NeverMessWithGranny: In ''The Birth Of A Nation'', we have an overweight elderly housekeeper leap into action and save her employer, knocking down at least one ruffian and two soldiers in the process. Interesting for a white supremacist racist work, the heroine is black and the man she's saving is white.
** It was a [[ValuesDissonance common belief at the time, at least among Southern whites]], that African-Americans had been [[HappinessInSlavery better off, and happier, as slaves]], until they were "stirred up" by Northern interlopers. A white supremacist racist work might easily see propagating that trope via a scene where a black woman leaps to the defense of her beloved employer/master as more important than portraying an individual white man's superiority over an individual black woman.
* NonRoyalPrincess: Elsie and the Cameron sisters, at least at first.

The plot of ''The Birth of a Nation'' is a two-part chronicle of American history. The first part depicts the nation before, during, and after TheAmericanCivilWar, from the perspective of two juxtaposed families - the Northern Stonemans, who are abolitionists and federalists, and the Southern Camerons, who are secessionists. When war breaks out, the houses must send their sons off to their respective opposing armies. The Camerons suffer many hardships in the war torn and depleted South, and must deal with hunger, ransackers, looters, and rapists. Eventually, the Union army crushes the Confederacy, ending the war. President Abraham Lincoln promises to rebuild the South, in spite of protests from vengeful Northern politicians who would execute its leaders and treat the land as conquered territory. But Abraham Lincoln is assassinated at Ford's Theater, allowing the Radical Republicans, led by Austin Stoneman, to gain strength and support for inflicting punitive measures on the South for their rebellion.

This film is in the public domain and can be viewed in its entirety at [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEznh2JZvrI YouTube]].

A 1915 silent movie directed by Creator/DWGriffith, starring famous silent film actress Creator/LillianGish, and one of Hollywood's first great "epic" films. Based on the novel ''The Clansman'' by Thomas Dixon.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Literally. In the Reconstruction chapter, the villains are vengeful, scheming, manipulative, corrupt politicians who use freed slaves and militia to terrorize the former Southern aristocracy. The heroes, the KKK are [[KnightInShiningArmor Knights in Shining Armour]]. People don't consider this film racist for nothing.

* WrittenByTheWinners: It certainly wasn't the most objective view of the Reconstruction Period. Making this an inversion as it is written from the perspective of the ''losing side'' in the Civil War.

* SnarkBait: And for a good reason too.

* Snark Bait: And for a good reason too

** In truth, the would-be rapist comes across more as an unwashed (white) coal miner than as a truly black man.

** In truth, the would-be rapist comes across less as a truly black man than as an unwashed (white) coal miner.

A 1915 silent movie directed by Creator/DWGriffith, starring famous silent film actress LillianGish, and one of Hollywood's first great "epic" films. Based on the novel ''The Clansman'' by Thomas Dixon.

** It was a [[ValuesDissonance:common belief at the time, at least among Southern whites]], that African-Americans had been [[HappinessInSlavery:better off, and happier, as slaves]], until they were "stirred up" by Northern interlopers. A white supremacist racist work might easily see propagating that trope via a scene where a black woman leaps to the defense of her beloved employer/master as more important than portraying an individual white man's superiority over an individual black woman.

* DistressedDamsel: Flora Cameron and later, Elsie Stoneman. In the book, Marion Lenoir and her mother, Jeanine.

A 1915 silent movie directed by [[Creator/DWGriffith D.W. Griffith]], starring famous silent film actress LillianGish, and one of Hollywood's first great "epic" films. Based on the novel ''The Clansman'' by Thomas Dixon.

* BoundAndGagged: A [[DistressedDamsel white woman]], of course.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[ValuesDissonance In-universe]]. When Silas Lynch first informs his mentor, Austin Stoneman, of his intention to marry a white woman, Austin Stoneman is initially congratulatory... until Silas specifies the white woman to be Stoneman's own daughter, Elsie.

* WarIsHell: The terrible human cost of the war is constantly emphasised, if only because it was between whites.

* WhiteMansBurden: Played to some extent really horribly, with Austin Stoneman's [[ScaryBlackMan mulatto protégé Silas.]]
* WrittenByTheWinners: It certainly wasn't the most objective view of the Reconstruction Period. Making this an inversion as it is written from the perspective of the ''losing side'' in the Civl War.

This was the first feature-length movie to be screened at the White House. The President was WoodrowWilson, who used to teach at Princeton University and Thomas Dixon was one of his former students. It is widely told that, after seeing the picture, Wilson said "It is like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true." The truth is that he probably never said anything like that. Dixon and Griffith were so intent on making the movie a hit that they pretty much made up lies about celebrities and politicians endorsing it, including both Wilson and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and at one point Dixon even claimed the movie was "federally endorsed." In fact, that quote did not show up in print until after Wilson's death. Wilson actually had no idea what the movie was about before it was shown, and a few days later he released a press statement saying that he did not approve of the "unfortunate production." Though, for the record, part of the reason why the story is believed by so many people is that Wilson was [[ValuesDissonance racist even by his own time's standard]].

->''"Despite Birth's blatant glorification of the KKK and depiction of black Americans as wild animals, this movie still ... nope, we're not finishing that sentence. On one hand, it pioneered concepts like actually moving the cameras and using rapid cuts, and you're probably still seeing its influence in movies today. On the other hand, ''everything else about it.''''"
->--'''Cracked''', [[http://www.cracked.com/article_19826_6-iconic-scenes-ripped-off-from-lesser-known-movies_p2.html 6 Iconic Scenes Ripped Off From Lesser Known Movies]]

->"Despite Birth's blatant glorification of the KKK and depiction of black Americans as wild animals, this movie still ... nope, we're not finishing that sentence. On one hand, it pioneered concepts like actually moving the cameras and using rapid cuts, and you're probably still seeing its influence in movies today. On the other hand, ''everything else about it.''"

A 1915 silent movie directed by D.W. Griffith, starring famous silent film actress LillianGish, and one of Hollywood's first great "epic" films. Based on the novel ''The Clansman'' by Thomas Dixon.

This was the first feature-length movie to be screened at the White House. The President was WoodrowWilson, who used to teach at Princeton University and Thomas Dixon was one of his former students. It is widely told that, after seeing the picture, Wilson said "It is like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true." The truth is that he probably never said anything like that. Dixon and Griffith were so intent on making the movie a hit that they pretty much made up lies about celebrities and politicians endorsing it, including both Wilson and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and at one point Dixon even claimed the movie was "federally endorsed." In fact, that quote did not show up in print until after Wilson's death. Wilson actually had no idea what the movie was about before it was shown, and a few days later he released a press statement saying that he did not approve of the "unfortunate production." Though, for the record, part of the reason why the story is believed by so many people is that Wilson was [[ValuesDissonance racist even by his own standard's time]].

This was the first feature-length movie to be screened at the White House. The President was WoodrowWilson, who used to teach at Princeton University and Thomas Dixon was one of his former students. It is widely told that, after seeing the picture, Wilson said "It is like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true." The truth is that he probably never said anything like that. Dixon and Griffith were so intent on making the movie a hit that they pretty much made up lies about celebrities and politicians endorsing it, including both Wilson and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and at one point Dixon even claimed the movie was "federally endorsed." In fact, that quote did not show up in print until after Wilson's death. Wilson actually had no idea what the movie was about before it was shown, and a few days later he released a press statement saying that he did not approve of the "unfortunate production." Though, for the record, part of the reason why the story is believed by so many people is that Wilson was [[ValuesDissoance racist even by his own standard's time]].