Product Information
This landmark film from silent director D.W. Griffith was the first movie blockbuster. However, it also reveals a horribly racist version of American history. The first part of the film chronicles the Civil War as experienced through the eyes of two families; the Stonemans from the North, and the Camerons of the South. Lifelong friends, they become divided by the Mason-Dixon line, with tragic results. Large-scale battle sequences and meticulous historical details culminate with a staged re-creation of Lincoln's assassination. The second half chronicles the Reconstruction, as Congressman Austin Stoneman (Ralph Lewis) puts evil Silas Lynch (George Siegmann) in charge of the liberated slaves at the Cameron hometown of Piedmont. Armed with the right to vote, the freed slaves cause all sorts of trouble until Ben Cameron (Henry B. Walthall) founds the Ku Klux Klan and restores order and "decency" to the troubled land.Product Identifiers
ProducerD.W. Griffith
EAN5060000701074
eBay Product ID (ePID)177199589
Product Key Features
ActorErich Von Stroheim, Ralph Lewis, George Siegmann, Walter Long, Mae Marsh, Lillian Gish, Aitken Spottiswoode, Wallace Reid, Miriam Cooper, Henry B. Walthall
Film/TV TitleThe Birth of a Nation
DirectorD.W. Griffith
LanguageEnglish
Run Time190 Mins
Release Year2013
FormatBlu-ray
FranchiseMasters of Cinema
FeaturesShort archival introductions to the film by D. W. Griffith and Walter Huston\Newly rediscovered original intermission sequence and 1930 re-release title sequence\Seven Civil War shorts directed by Griffith: IN THE BORDER STATES (1910); THE HOUSE WITH CLOSED SHUTTERS (1910); THE FUGITIVE (1910); HIS TRUST (1910); HIS TRUST FULFILLED (1910); SWORDS AND HEARTS (1911); and THE BATTLE (1911).\Booklet, Black & White
GenreDrama, Historical
Additional Product Features
Number of Discs1
Certificate15
Country/Region of ManufactureUnited States of America
ReviewsCommon Sense Media - D.W. Griffith's THE BIRTH OF A NATION is as much a part of film history as the Civil War is a part of American history., Variety - THE BIRTH OF A NATION is a great epoch in picture making; it's great for pictures and it's great for the name and fame of David Wark Griffith. When a man like Griffith in a new field can do what he has done, he may as well be hailed while he is living., The Guardian UK - The quasi-Victorian Griffith was in so many respects way ahead of his time even if his philosophy and mind-set could often be said to be behind it., Empire Magazine - THE BIRTH OF A NATION has become a staple of any film studies course, for its excellent performances, thrilling action sequences and epic landscapes.
ScreenwriterD.W. Griffith, Frank Woods
MusicRichard Wagner, Joseph Carl Breil
CinematographerG.W. Bitzer
Sound sourceDolby Digital
EditorJames Smith
Movie/TV TitleThe Birth Of A Nation