It's an American Civil War and Reconstruction drama set from 1860 to 1875 in Washington, D. C., and Piedmont, South Carolina. It follows two families connected by their sons' friendship in a pre-Civil War boarding school. Austin Stoneman (Ralph Lewis) is a political leader in Washington. His children are Phil (Elmer Clifton) and Elsie (Lillian Gish). His right-hand man is Silas Lynch (George Siegmann). Lynch's last name is no mistake.
Dr. Cameron (Spottiswoode Aitken) and his wife (Josephine Crowell) head the South Carolina family. They have three sons and two daughters. The oldest son is Benjamin Cameron (Henry B. Waithall); the elder daughter is Margaret (Miriam Cooper), and the more vivacious younger daughter is Flora (Mae Marsh).
In the film's first half, we see the children's friendship before the war, the potential for romance between the families, and the impact of the Civil War on both families. The story is told mainly from the Southern perspective; slavery is not mentioned. The war is described as resistance to losing states' rights, i.e., the "Lost Cause" argument.
The movie's shockingly racist second half deals with the Reconstruction period in South Carolina. It describes most African Americans as out of control and manipulated by Northern Carpetbaggers. The Southern whites' salvation is the formation of the Ku Klux Klan, supposedly founded by Phil Cameron, with the primary goal of protecting white women from African American men. The two main stories in the movie's second half deal with this theme, one of which ends with a lynching.
"The Birth of a Nation" is notable for its early technological advances in battle scenes and story flow in numerous places. The intercards are mostly scene-setting; their use in dialogue is not as developed as it might be. The movie is an important historical piece of cinema; its content is appalling.
Dr. Cameron (Spottiswoode Aitken) and his wife (Josephine Crowell) head the South Carolina family. They have three sons and two daughters. The oldest son is Benjamin Cameron (Henry B. Waithall); the elder daughter is Margaret (Miriam Cooper), and the more vivacious younger daughter is Flora (Mae Marsh).
In the film's first half, we see the children's friendship before the war, the potential for romance between the families, and the impact of the Civil War on both families. The story is told mainly from the Southern perspective; slavery is not mentioned. The war is described as resistance to losing states' rights, i.e., the "Lost Cause" argument.
The movie's shockingly racist second half deals with the Reconstruction period in South Carolina. It describes most African Americans as out of control and manipulated by Northern Carpetbaggers. The Southern whites' salvation is the formation of the Ku Klux Klan, supposedly founded by Phil Cameron, with the primary goal of protecting white women from African American men. The two main stories in the movie's second half deal with this theme, one of which ends with a lynching.
"The Birth of a Nation" is notable for its early technological advances in battle scenes and story flow in numerous places. The intercards are mostly scene-setting; their use in dialogue is not as developed as it might be. The movie is an important historical piece of cinema; its content is appalling.