DW Griffith's Birth Of A Nation

"It is at the foundation of what would become Hollywood. So if this is at the root, then it shouldn't be a surprise when in the last few weeks, there have been discussions about the lack of nominations for black filmmakers in the for the Oscars. In my mind, this is very much a branch that grew out of the tree that was Birth of a Nation."
USC School of Cinematic Arts professor Todd Boyd (from NPR article)

Art has been used throughout history as a tool of oppression just as much as it is a tool of expression. It is important to dissect and critique art on every level; it does not get a free pass to perpetuate whatever potentially harmful messages it wants just out of its nature of being art. “Birth of a Nation” by DW Griffith drastically …show more content…
Its release set up a significant censorship battle over its vicious, extremist depiction of African Americans, although Griffith naively claimed that he wasn't racist at the time.
Riots and protests broke out at screenings of Birth of a Nation in some Northern cities, and the recently formed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) embarked on a primary campaign to have the film banned. It eventually was censored in several cities, and Griffith agreed to change or cut out some of the film’s extraordinarily offensive scenes.
Nevertheless, millions of people happily paid to witness the spectacle of Birth of a Nation, which featured a cast of more 10,000 people and a dramatic storyline far more sophisticated than anything released to that date. For all the gross historical inaccuracies, certain scenes, such as meetings of Congress, Civil War battles, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, were meticulously recreated, lending the film an air of legitimacy that made it effective as …show more content…
rather than using abstract thinking, linear and practical problem solving in an era of filmmaking with little narrative conventions. rather than thinking outside the box he seems to simple try to solve problems as they arise. the end result is combinations of modes ranging from established cinematic, novelistic modes from the victorian novels of griffiths youth. He was not alone, awareness for just how deep in our history and legislation racism goes is a daunting one. While the thirteenth amendment was a commendable step forward it was immediately undermined. prisoners were the new slaves, and american society at the time was quick to target the newly freed slaves. this move is still seen today, nearly any product that is “made in america” is either directly made or made with the help of prison labor. its after aftereffects still felt to day 150 years later. Trading slave chains for prison bars. Today convicted felons who are predominantly non-white even though crime is committed equal across race and ethnicity. find it virtually impossible to find employment once they are forced to reveal their criminal backgrounds. Felons in many states are barred from voting. Those with criminal records often cannot find housing or rent an apartment when

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