Birth of a Nation A Bias in Question
... Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation is a technical masterpiece, and a true achievement in elevating the film medium to the status of artistic creation. ... The characteristic about The Birth of a Nation that makes it a debatable film is its subjective depiction of historical events. The picture recounts the epic story of the Stonemans and the Camerons, two families experiencing the nation’s tear during the periods of the Civil War and the Reconstruction. ... Upon viewing The Birth of a Nation, we are immediately drawn to many questions, but one seems to stand out: Where is this bias, this intolerance towards colored people coming from? ... Griffith’ s portrayal of black people, and their contact with the different white characters, we realize that the film almost unintentionally answers that question. Indeed, The Birth of Nation depicts African Americans through a very extremist point of view. ... Griffith’s depiction of these events shapes an attitude about Reconstruction and implies the impossibility for free African Americans to be incorporated into the nation. ... Therefore, Birth of a Nation clearly gives a very reducing vision of African Americans, but also implicitly indicates the fears and weaknesses of white Southerns.