First premiering on January 1, 1915, in Riverside, California entitled The Clansman–so named after the 1905 novel upon which it was based–The Birth of a Nation was the first of its kind: a three-hour-long feature-length silent film that popularized the numerous cinematic techniques pioneered by its director D.W. Griffith, with a captivating plot–though inherently racist at its core–unlike any other before it in terms of its complexity. The Birth of a Nation was the first substantial box office success of the silent film era–grossing in the tens of millions–owing partially to the $2.00 ticket price, an unheard of rate at that time. What were the factors that propelled this film to unprecedented fame and infamy, and how did its influence impact both the film industry and society as a whole?

Set during the Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction period, The Birth of a Nation primarily follows two families–one Northern and one Southern–whose children are friends. Austin Stoneman, father of the Northern family, is a congressional representative and abolitionist.

Following the end of the war and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Cameron, eldest son of the Cameron family, forms the Ku Klux Klan, which is glorified as a group dedicated to the restoration of peace. We are introduced to Silas Lynch, a biracial man portrayed as a crazy alcoholic, who is lieutenant governor of South Carolina. He is played by a white actor wearing blackface. Lynch leads the charge of a black takeover movement in the community.

Members of the African American community are negatively portrayed throughout the film as intellectually challenged, vicious, and particularly hostile toward white women. Tensions heighten as the younger daughter of the Cameron family is pursued by a black man named Gus, prompting her to jump off a cliff to her death. The film powerfully illustrates this suicide as an honorable one for, as the insert stated, “her who had learned the stern lesson of honor we should not grieve that she found sweeter the opal gates of death.”

Gus is convicted of his crimes and executed, which infuriates Lynch and his community. A law is passed by now-majority black lawmakers that criminalizes possession of KKK paraphernalia–with the penalty being death. Lynch is pleased by the prospect of taking revenge against the Cameron family, who of course are affiliated with the Clan. The black troops pursue the Camerons and are ultimately defeated when the KKK arrives to the rescue. Victory and peace in the eyes of the KKK, and of Griffith, is of course embodied in the suppression of blacks.

The film has received mixed reception in the century following its 1915 release. It was–and remains–a landmark in the history of filmmaking. With a budget exceeding 3,000,000 in today’s dollars–which seemed exorbitant at the time–D.W. Griffith was the first to implement such fundamental techniques as the crossfade, the closeup, and color manipulation to represent specific themes. Also of note are the complicated battle scenes throughout the film, many featuring hundreds of extras. From a cinema standpoint, The Birth of a Nation was a crucial turning point in the industry and has earned him the title of the father of cinema in America.

From a social standpoint, the film was also very influential–though in this way, it is much less favorably remembered and cited by historians. The Birth of a Nation and its glorification of the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacy is single-handedly responsible for the reincarnation of the organization in 1916. The film’s influence is evidenced by portrayal of the original KKK’s participation in a cross-burning ritual, a historically inaccurate occurrence that nonetheless inspired the revived Clan’s adoption of this practice.

The Birth of a Nation is the earliest significant illustration of the potential for enormous influence of film on society–subsequently surpassing written literature in this respect–be it by means of cultural transformation or through innovative artistic techniques for the benefit of future cinema. D.W. Griffith’s infamous film is the embodiment of not one but both of these influences, and serves today as a very painful reminder of the extreme antipathy rooted deep in American history.🔹