I don't understand all the praise for The Birth of a Nation (1915)

It wasn't as innovative as many people like to believe. But Griffith is the only pre-20 filmmaker (apart from absolute pioneers like Melies) that is talked about, so no wonder people think he indeed invented everything. LOL.
Nah, Cabiria released one year earlier was just as long if not longer, and it's probably not the first 3-hour-long film either.
It's a good film if you can separate yourself from the content and appreciate it as visual art. Same goes from Triumph of the Will.

__________________
San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.

It's worth a watch because it was one of the first "big" movies that used a whole lot of what became standard movie tricks like dolly shots, etc. It's also interesting to see just how much denial, propaganda and fiction went into anything about race in that time. I recall seeing a quote from Griffith suggesting that he didn't anticipate the reaction to the film and didn't think it was racist. I don't know enough about the man to know what combination of denial, self defense and delusion he had, but it's not inconsistent with old attitudes I recall when I was a kid.

Triumph of Will is very different because it's such obvious, carefully constructed, "glorious" propaganda. BOAN was made with the peculiar American version of propaganda which weaves its racism into the plot as though these things just happen. No matter what, I can't imagine Americans goose-stepping in mass meetings, but the Klan and its racist anarchy was a fact of life at that time, packaged up to look like they were "good guys".

The most racist movie in American history.

"William Joseph Simmons is considered to be the founder of the 1915 modern Ku Klux Klan. While recovering from a car accident, the local preacher in Georgia followed the*Birth of a Nation’s*nationwide success. There were KKK-inspired aprons, costumes and regalia that glorified the defunct organization. Simmons seized on the film’s popularity to bolster the Klan’s appeal again."

https://www.history.com/.amp/news/kk...-a-nation-film

The Birth of a Nation has great value for historical reasons and cinematic history. I do think everyone should watch it. I just didn't like it!

BOAN is like a movie fit for a history class. It's worth noting that the Klan was on the decline in 1915, but the movie was followed by a revival. On the other side of the issue, it was so obviously awful in its portrayals that it also was accompanied by demonstrations and outright bans in some places. It was somewhat of a watershed moment, even aside from its cinematic qualities. After that, Griffith tried to redeem himself with Intolerance, never owning up to having any racist intention in BOAN (wow!!). I think it's one of the strangest chapters in movie history.

Me neither. But I do understand its appeal.

__________________
My Favorite Films