INTOLERANCE (1916)

In the beginning...She Blinded Me With Silents (Post 4 of 12)

Intolerance

The 1997 American Film Institute list of top American movies of the century had D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation ranked at number #44. But in the 2007 updated list, that controversial film was taken off the list all together. In its place, jumping from no ranking in 1997 to number #49 for the new list is another D. W. Griffith film, Intolerance.

Like Birth of a Nation, Intolerance (Griffith's attempt to link four stories throughout history by showing episodes featuring examples of intolerant behavior) seems to divide people on its merits, too. It's detractors tend to call it an overblown mess, where Griffith's stories basically run amok without the cohesion it needs. And they say it's boring...and real long. It even got it's own chapter in Harry and Michael Medved's book The Hollywood Hall of Shame (gasp!).

But it's supporters (and there are many) see it as a remarkable example of storytelling. The epic nature of the stories (The Fall of Bablylon, the story of Christ, the French St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre and a contermporary crime story) come together as one all linked through the continuing shot of eternal motherhood (Lillian Gish) rocking the cradle of life.

I admit, that with a three and a half hour running time that seems a lot longer than that, I tend to side more with the camp that isn't that enthralled with Mr. Griffith's presentation. The best of the sections is the contemporary one and the film seems to wander off course whenever it veers away from this story. There are parts of the Babylon story that are pretty interesting and the set for that section is really amazing. And I must admit, that as the four stories were winding down, I began to like what I was seeing on the screen. Everything seemed to be finally be fitting together finally. The problem was that it took me over three hours to get to that point. If I hadn't been watching this because I wanted to finally be able to say I've seen Intolerance, I'm not so sure I would have gotten through it. But by God, I've seen Intolerance!

THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1914)

In the beginning...She Blinded Me With Silents (Post 3 of 12)

The Birth of a Nation

Opinions and Reviews on The Birth of a Nation from 1915

A pernicious caricature of the Negro race.
-Jane Addams, New York Evening Post, March 13, 1915

The very name of The Birth of a Nation is an insult to Washington, who believed that a nation, not merely a congeries of independent states, was born during the common struggles of the Revolutionary War, and devoted himself to cementing the union. It is an insult to Lincoln and the great motives inspiring him when he was called on to resist the attempt to denationalize a nation. The nation of ours was not born between 1861 and 1865, and no one will profit from trying to pervert history.
-New York Globe, April 6, 1915.

They declare in substance that the play in its final impression on the audience does six things: (1) It reunites common sympathy and love in all sections of our country. (2) It teaches our boys the history of our nation in a way that makes them know the priceless inheritance our fathers gave us through the sacrifice of war and reconstruction. (3) It tends to prevent the lowering of the standard of our citizenship by its mixture with Negro blood. (4) It shows the horror and futility of war as a method of settling civic principles. (5) It reaffirms Lincoln's solution of the Negro problem as a possible guide to our future and glorifies his character as the noblest example of American democracy. (6) It gives to Daniel Webster for the first time his true place in American history as the inspiring creator of the modern nation we know today.
-Thomas Dixon, Reply to The New York Globe, April 10, 1915.

We have received letters of the heartiest commendation from statesmen, writers, clergymen, artists, educators, and laymen. I have in my possession applications for reservations from the principals of ten schools, who having seen the picture, are desirous of bringing their pupils to view it for historic truths...In every walk of life there are men and women of this city (New York) who have expressed their appreciation of this picture. Do you dare to intimate that these voluntary expressions of approval were voiced for "purely sordid reasons?"
-D. W. Griffith, Reply to The New York Globe, April 10, 1915.

Griffith struck it right when he adapted the Dixon story for the film. He knew the South and he knew just what kind of picture would please all white classes. Some places the censors are going to find fault. That's a persistent way some censors have. The scene of the "black congress" and the negro removing his shoe may be censured, but it's drawn from reported facts. But no matter what the censors censor there will be plenty of film action and interest left to make it the biggest demanded film production of the present century. It's worth seeing anywhere. Many will see it twice, yea thrice and still obtain much satisfaction and entertainment.
- Mark Vance, Variety, March 12, 1915.

The audience which saw the play at the private exhibition in the Liberty Theater was a most friendly one. It was significant that on more than one occasion during the showing of the films, there were hisses mingled with applause. These hisses were not, of course, directed against the artistic quality of the film. They were evoked by the undisguised appeals to race prejudices. The tendency of the second part is to inflame race hatred. The negroes are shown as horrible brutes, given over to beastly excesses, defiant and criminal in their attitude toward the whites, and lusting after white women. Some of the details are plainly morbid and repulsive. The film having roused the hatred and disgust of the white against the black to the highest pitch, suggest as a remedy to the racial question the transportation of the Negroes to Liberia, which Griffith assures us was Lincoln's idea.
-W. Stephen Bush, Moving Picture World , March 13, 1915.

The story of the creation was told in eight words, but should the pen of another Moses be raised today he would need ten times that number of pages to do credit to The Birth of a Nation.

There has been nothing to equal it-nothing. Not a motion picture, not a play, nor a book does it come to you; but as the soul and spirit and flesh of the heart of your country's history, ripped from the past and brought quivering with all human emotions before your eyes.

It swept the audience at the Atlanta Theater on Monday night like a tidal wave. A youth in the gallery leapt to his feet and yelled and yelled. A little boy downstairs pounded the man's back in front of him and shrieked. The man did not know it. He was a middle-aged hard-lipped citizen; but his face twitched and his throat gulped up and down. Here a young girl kept dabbing and dabbing at her eyes and there an old lady just sat and let the tears stream down her face unchecked.

And if you haven't seen it, spend the money, borrow it, beg it, get it any old way. But see The Birth of a Nation.
-Ward Greene, The Atlanta Journal, December 7, 1915.

____

Since the time of its release, D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation, based on Thomas Dixon's book The Clansman, has been a lightning rod of controversy (like writing history with lightning in fact, or so said Woodrow Wilson). But there had never been anything on the screen before quite like this narrative action piece on The Civil War and its aftermath.

But is The Birth of a Nation an historically significant film?  The answer is yes.

Is it great epic storytelling? Yes, most definitely.

Is it an accurate history of the time? At times it gets it right. At times it gets it wrong to tragic proportions.

Should it be seen? Absolutely.

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1903)

In the beginning...She Blinded Me With Silents (Post 2 of 12)

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (MY PROPOSED ALTERNATE ENDING)

(Bronco Billy, Justus and Frank ride into a clearing and clumsily dismount from their horses. Justus and Frank begin dancing in celebration of their successful gold theft.)

Bronco Billy: HEY! You boys need to simmer down. We got big problems here!

(Justus and Frank stop their dance and stare at him)

Justus: What you mean? We got the gold!

(Justus throws a handful of gold pieces at Bronco Billy)

Bronco Billy: The gold? And what is it you’re planning to do with all that gold?

(Justus and Frank give each other a confused stare.)

Bronco Billy: That’s right. You have no idea! And do you know why?

(Justus and Frank shake their heads)

Bronco Billy: Cause we was s'pose to be killed by a posse and that was gonna be the end! That’s why! Your fellas ain’t even real.

Justus: Ain’t real? You been smokin’ some of that Injun loco weed? And how is it you know so dang much? And whar is this here posse?

Bronco Billy: They was gonna ambush us in our reg'lar hidin’ spot. That’s why I made you fellas come here instead.

Frank: I don’t get it.

Bronco Billy: Think about our reg'lar hiding spot that we was going to. Do you ever remember bein’ thar before?

(Justus and Frank shake their heads)

Bronco Billy: That’s cause we AIN’T never been thar before. It’s just our reg'lar hiding place cause the script says so.

Justus: Cause the what says so?

Bronco Billy: Look. You know when we ride or rob...when you look out to the side? You know, the black space? Don’t you wonder what’s in the black space?

Justus: (Scratching his head) Never thunk about it.

Bronco Billy: That’s cause you’re thinly written. But I thunk about it. And while we was riding a ways back, I slipped my hand into the black space and came up with this.

(Bronco Billy shows his associates a movie script.)

Frank: What’s this? We can’t read!

Bronco Billy: Written here is all that we are. All we’re suppose to do. We did just what it said to the last part when I took us a detour to here.

Justus: This is crazy talk! You’ve been drinking some kinda moonshine!

Bronco Billy: All right smart boys. Tell me what is it you are plannin’ to do with all that gold?

Frank: I don’t reckon I know. What was we gonna do Justus?

Justus: (Thinking for a moment) I got it! Women!

Bronco Billy: And what is it an outlaw is suppose to do with a woman? Tell me.

(Justus and Frank think for a moment.)

Justus: I got it again! Virginia Reel!

(Frank and Justus throw down their guns and begin hooting as they grab each other by the arms spinning as if doing the Virginia Reel.)

Bronco Billy: Stop It! The only thing you know about women is doin’ the Virgina Reel with ‘em cause that’s all that’s in this here script! Us cowboys won’t get fully developed for more until later through the films of Ford, Hawks, Mann and Leone.

(As the outlaws quit dancing they look at Bronco Billy in silent confusion.)

Bronco Billy: Never mind. I’m not sure whar that thought came from myself. Anyway, remember when you shot that guy at the station, how he flailed around like a chicken with his head cut off, grabbed his heart and plopped to the ground?

Justus: Yeah! Got him good.

Bronco Bill: NO! People don’t react that way when they's shot. And there was no blood! Nary a drop. And when you threw that guy off the train. That was no man! It was just a stuffed dummy.

Frank: Come to think about it Justus, He did feel kinda light.

Bronco Billy: And didn’t you notice how the scenery kept changin’ so fast behind us while we was up on the train?

Frank: (Scratching his head) That’s why I got so dizzy!

Bronco Billy: (Slapping the script in his hand) We is in something called a movin’ picture.

Justus: I’ve seen pictures o' course. But how does they move?

Bronco Billy: Don’t rightly know. Guess if you run them together fast enough, they kinda tell a story.

(The other two outlaws look at each other and begin to laugh. When Bronco Billy doesn't return their laughter, they stop. The three outlaws begin to contemplate in uncomfortable silence.)

Justus: So what happens now?

Bronco Billy: I don’t know. I think we have to do things on our own now.

Justus: (rubbing his chin) Hmmm. Interestin'.

(Justus raises his gun and points it at Bronco Billy)

Bronco Billy: What in tarnation do you think you’re doing?

Justus: Seems to me like we was doin’ fine til’ you brought up that big lump of paper. Maybe that thar’ script jus’ needs a new endin’.

(Justus fires at Bronco Billy who grabs at his bloodstained chest and drops to the ground.)

Bronco Billy: (from the ground) You fool! The posse will for sure come for you now.

Justus: You was right Billy. That’s real blood this time.

(Bronco Billy dies. The posse hears the shots and comes riding toward the outlaws. Frank runs to pick up his guns. Before he can reach them, he is dropped to the ground by a rifle shot coming from one of the posse. Justus manages to get to a pistol and fires into the black space before forever disappearing from view.)

A TRIP TO THE MOON (1902, FRANCE)

In the beginning...She Blinded Me With Silents (Post 1 of 12)

A Trip to the Moon

Certainly any list like the one from 1001 Films You Must See Before You Die (as well as any academic history of film class) has to begin with George Melies’ 1902 short film, A Trip to the Moon.

The basics of this fourteen minute landmark film can be summarized as "a group of professors/wizards confer to send an space expedition to the moon. A group of space travelers is organized and proceed to land on the moon where they encounter hostiles who take them to their leader. After finding a method of disposing of the moon men by an umbrella touch that makes them explode, they successfully return to earth."

How many movie firsts are in this film? Science fiction, surrealism, a narrative story line, special effects and other innovations often list A Trip to the Moon as its oldest ancestor. Who could possibly say anything bad about a Trip to the Moon? I’ll bet even curmudgeonly film critic David Thompson can’t think of anything bad to say about Melies. In his Biographical Dictionary of American Film, he says,

“Melies needs to be restored to his role as stage conjurer who designed so many of the illusions available to the filmmaker-no longer regarded as the father figure of cinema of the imagination.”

OK, everyone except David Thompson agrees.