Author Topic: D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" (Read 1645 times)

Bloodwake · « **on:** February 18, 2009, 03:10:15 PM »

Watched this in film class last night. Needless to say, even hearing about how horribly racist the film is doesn't prepare you for how RIDICULOUSLY RACIST the film is.

Basically, there's a battle near the end between the Ku Klux Klan and hundreds of actors in blackface. Guess who wins.

Even more shocking: at one point, there's a title card that mentions the "superiority of the Aryan race."

Films in 1915 lol.

tehjaybo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:10:48 PM »

Sounds like my kind of film.

tehjaybo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:11:08 PM »

DISCLAIMER:

I'm not really a racist, I just play one on the internet.

Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:18:44 PM »

Quote from: tehjaybo on February 18, 2009, 03:11:08 PM

DISCLAIMER:

I'm not really a racist, I just play one on the internet.

That's what all racists say. SMH. I'm offended.

tehjaybo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:21:15 PM »

Then I withhold my abnormally small Caucasian penis henceforth.

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:25:56 PM »

Waste of time to actually watch it, I'm glad I never had to.

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:29:19 PM »

I went to film school.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:32:23 PM »

My uncle has a copy. I've seen some of it. I couldn't help but laugh at how bad it was. I understand it's impact and importance...but lol

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:32:37 PM »

Quote from: Genghis Cohen on February 18, 2009, 03:31:52 PM

I'm asking if you actually watched it or not, or at least some of it.

We watched at least once scene in class.

Flannel Boy · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:40:06 PM »

Someone in film school might have learned that the film, although horribly racist and archaic, was nonetheless historically important and innovative for its time. I'd assume such a student would be FoC, but maybe not.

Bloodwake · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:42:53 PM »

Quote from: Malek on February 18, 2009, 03:40:06 PM

Someone in film school might have learned that the film, although horribly racist and archaic, was nonetheless historically important and innovative for its time. I'd assume such a student would be FoC, but maybe not.

While the film is a racist piece of shit, basically the reason FEATURE LENGTH FILMS exist is because of it, so yeah, it's sorta fucking important.

Which is ironic if you are a film fan and you are black, because you owe your hobby/enjoyment to a film made out of hate for you.

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2009, 04:50:06 PM »

Quote from: Malek on February 18, 2009, 03:40:06 PM

Someone in film school might have learned that the film, although horribly racist and archaic, was nonetheless historically important and innovative for its time. I'd assume such a student would be FoC, but maybe not.

Doesnt mean you have to watch the whole thing. The bible has been pretty historically important, but how many of you lit fegs can say they have read the whole thing.

It's pointless.

Bloodwake · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2009, 04:53:17 PM »

Quote from: FlameOfCallandor on February 18, 2009, 04:50:06 PM

Quote from: Malek on February 18, 2009, 03:40:06 PM
Someone in film school might have learned that the film, although horribly racist and archaic, was nonetheless historically important and innovative for its time. I'd assume such a student would be FoC, but maybe not.

Doesnt mean you have to watch the whole thing. The bible has been pretty historically important, but how many of you lit distinguished effete fellows can say they have read the whole thing.

It's pointless.

In FoC's defense, we watched fractions of the beginning part and the last hour and a half. Even our grizzled film professor didn't want to sit through this again.

I mean, it IS a 3 hour silent film.

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2009, 04:56:20 PM »

Quote from: Genghis Cohen on February 18, 2009, 04:54:28 PM

Quote from: FlameOfCallandor on February 18, 2009, 04:50:06 PM
Quote from: Malek on February 18, 2009, 03:40:06 PM
Someone in film school might have learned that the film, although horribly racist and archaic, was nonetheless historically important and innovative for its time. I'd assume such a student would be FoC, but maybe not.

Doesnt mean you have to watch the whole thing. The bible has been pretty historically important, but how many of you lit distinguished effete fellows can say they have read the whole thing.

It's pointless.
Raises hand.

Destroyed...

Actually jokes on you... You read the whole fucking bible.

Flannel Boy · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:05:33 PM »

Quote from: FlameOfCallandor on February 18, 2009, 04:50:06 PM

Quote from: Malek on February 18, 2009, 03:40:06 PM
Someone in film school might have learned that the film, although horribly racist and archaic, was nonetheless historically important and innovative for its time. I'd assume such a student would be FoC, but maybe not.

Doesnt mean you have to watch the whole thing. The bible has been pretty historically important, but how many of you lit distinguished effete fellows can say they have read the whole thing.

It's pointless.

This would be a good analogy if I were a theology student and it took only 2.5 hours to read the entire Bible.

Flannel Boy · « **Reply #15 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:06:41 PM »

Quote from: Genghis Cohen on February 18, 2009, 05:04:35 PM

Both are better than Hegel, who is the worst writer of all time.

Oh. God. Yes. So horrible.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #16 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:09:10 PM »

i've read the bible

i took a bible class back in high school (when they still offered such elective classes)

Flannel Boy · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:11:36 PM »

Well, I think we went through most of the Bible in elementary school (I went to a Catholic school). But I haven't been able to read it as an adult.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:14:13 PM »

it's pretty boring

i took the class in the hopes of being an argumentative asshole and springing a lot of AH-HA! moments on people, but the lady teaching it was so nice that I just sat there bored out of my skull all year.

and, much like spanish class, i have retained next to no information

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:15:42 PM »

Quote from: Eel O'Brian on February 18, 2009, 05:14:13 PM

it's pretty boring

i took the class in the hopes of being an argumentative asshole and springing a lot of AH-HA! moments on people, but the lady teaching it was so nice that I just sat there bored out of my skull all year.

What kind of Ah-Ha moments did you have in mind?

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #20 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:18:21 PM »

"Hey, if a dude was born in the mountains to a bunch of inbred hillbillies and never had any contact with the outside world, never went to church, never acknowledged that there was a God, but still lived a decent and kind life - would he still go to Hell?"

stuff like that

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #21 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:21:04 PM »

Quote from: Eel O'Brian on February 18, 2009, 05:18:21 PM

"Hey, if a dude was born in the mountains to a bunch of inbred hillbillies and never had any contact with the outside world, never went to church, never acknowledged that there was a God, but still lived a decent and kind life - would he still go to Hell?"

stuff like that

Oh I thought you were talking about a film class. LOL

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #22 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:22:07 PM »

no, a mistake class

should've just taken a study hall, the resulting nap-drool on my desk would have been the same

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #23 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:56:41 PM »

Quote from: Genghis Cohen on February 18, 2009, 04:54:28 PM

Quote from: FlameOfCallandor on February 18, 2009, 04:50:06 PM
Quote from: Malek on February 18, 2009, 03:40:06 PM
Someone in film school might have learned that the film, although horribly racist and archaic, was nonetheless historically important and innovative for its time. I'd assume such a student would be FoC, but maybe not.

Doesnt mean you have to watch the whole thing. The bible has been pretty historically important, but how many of you lit distinguished effete fellows can say they have read the whole thing.

It's pointless.
Raises hand.

Destroyed...

smh FoC, Cohen used Shield Reflect on your annihilation cast

Joe Molotov · « **Reply #24 on:** February 18, 2009, 11:09:40 PM »

Birth of a Nation is like Lord of the Rings without magic and rings and sound. Aryan heroes triumphing over the dark hoarde is just a universal theme.

Mandark · « **Reply #25 on:** February 19, 2009, 12:10:20 AM »

Well *I* saw Broken Blossoms (also titled The Yellow Man and The Girl), which was Griffiths' attempt to prove that he's not a racist.

He went about accomplishing this by having his lead actor wear yellowface and using patronizing positive stereotypes rather than paranoid negative ones. It's maybe the first iteration of the Asian model minority meme.

Birth of a Nation:Broken Blossoms::Passion of the Christ:Apocalypto

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #26 on:** February 19, 2009, 01:00:20 AM »

Quote from: Mandark on February 19, 2009, 12:10:20 AM

Well *I* saw Broken Blossoms (also titled The Yellow Man and The Girl), which was Griffiths' attempt to prove that he's not a racist.

You're thinking of tolerance which doesn't have a surviving print if i remember correctly.

HyperZoneWasAwesome · « **Reply #27 on:** February 19, 2009, 03:48:01 AM »

Quote from: FlameOfCallandor on February 19, 2009, 01:00:20 AM

Quote from: Mandark on February 19, 2009, 12:10:20 AM
Well *I* saw Broken Blossoms (also titled The Yellow Man and The Girl), which was Griffiths' attempt to prove that he's not a racist.

You're thinking of tolerance which doesn't have a surviving print if i remember correctly.

that's In-tolerance

Bloodwake · « **Reply #28 on:** February 19, 2009, 11:21:10 AM »

There's not a surviving print but they pieced all of it together, as you saw by the Kino release up there.

News:

Author Topic: D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" (Read 1645 times)