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The Birth of a Nation

  • 19151915
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 3h 15m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
25K
YOUR RATING
Joseph Henabery, Alberta Lee, and Raoul Walsh in The Birth of a Nation (1915)
  • Drama
  • History
  • War
The Stoneman family finds its friendship with the Camerons affected by the Civil War, both fighting in opposite armies. The development of the war in their lives plays through to Lincoln's a... Read allThe Stoneman family finds its friendship with the Camerons affected by the Civil War, both fighting in opposite armies. The development of the war in their lives plays through to Lincoln's assassination and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan.The Stoneman family finds its friendship with the Camerons affected by the Civil War, both fighting in opposite armies. The development of the war in their lives plays through to Lincoln's assassination and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
25K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • D.W. Griffith
  • Writers
    • Thomas Dixon Jr.(adapted from his novel: "The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan")
    • D.W. Griffith
    • Frank E. Woods
  • Stars
    • Lillian Gish
    • Mae Marsh
    • Henry B. Walthall
Top credits
  • Director
    • D.W. Griffith
  • Writers
    • Thomas Dixon Jr.(adapted from his novel: "The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan")
    • D.W. Griffith
    • Frank E. Woods
  • Stars
    • Lillian Gish
    • Mae Marsh
    • Henry B. Walthall
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 379User reviews
    • 79Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins

    Videos1

    How 'Antebellum' Began as a Timely Nightmare of the Present Day
    Interview 3:49
    How 'Antebellum' Began as a Timely Nightmare of the Present Day

    Photos87

    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    Joseph Henabery, Alberta Lee, and Raoul Walsh in The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    Lillian Gish, Elmer Clifton, Miriam Cooper, and Henry B. Walthall in The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    Lillian Gish, Josephine Crowell, and Henry B. Walthall in The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)
    The Birth of a Nation (1915)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lillian Gish
    Lillian Gish
    • Elsie - Stoneman's Daughteras Elsie - Stoneman's Daughter
    Mae Marsh
    Mae Marsh
    • Flora Cameron - the Pet Sisteras Flora Cameron - the Pet Sister
    Henry B. Walthall
    Henry B. Walthall
    • Col. Ben Cameron aka The Little Colonelas Col. Ben Cameron aka The Little Colonel
    • (as Henry Walthall)
    Miriam Cooper
    Miriam Cooper
    • Margaret Cameron - the Elder Sisteras Margaret Cameron - the Elder Sister
    Mary Alden
    Mary Alden
    • Lydia Brown - Stoneman's Mulatto Housekeeperas Lydia Brown - Stoneman's Mulatto Housekeeper
    Ralph Lewis
    Ralph Lewis
    • Hon. Austin Stoneman - Leader of the Houseas Hon. Austin Stoneman - Leader of the House
    George Siegmann
    George Siegmann
    • Silas Lynch - Mulatto Lieut. Governoras Silas Lynch - Mulatto Lieut. Governor
    • (as George Seigmann)
    Walter Long
    Walter Long
    • Gus - A Renegade Negroas Gus - A Renegade Negro
    Robert Harron
    Robert Harron
    • Tod - Stoneman's Younger Sonas Tod - Stoneman's Younger Son
    Wallace Reid
    Wallace Reid
    • Jeff - The Blacksmithas Jeff - The Blacksmith
    • (as Wallace Reed)
    Joseph Henabery
    Joseph Henabery
    • Abraham Lincolnas Abraham Lincoln
    • (as Jos. Henabery)
    Elmer Clifton
    Elmer Clifton
    • Phil - Stoneman's Elder Sonas Phil - Stoneman's Elder Son
    Josephine Crowell
    Josephine Crowell
    • Mrs. Cameronas Mrs. Cameron
    Spottiswoode Aitken
    Spottiswoode Aitken
    • Dr. Cameronas Dr. Cameron
    George Beranger
    George Beranger
    • Wade Cameron - the Second Sonas Wade Cameron - the Second Son
    • (as J.A. Beringer)
    Maxfield Stanley
    • Duke Cameron - the Youngest Sonas Duke Cameron - the Youngest Son
    • (as John French)
    Jennie Lee
    Jennie Lee
    • Mammy - the Faithful Servantas Mammy - the Faithful Servant
    Donald Crisp
    Donald Crisp
    • Gen. Ulysses S. Grantas Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
    • Director
      • D.W. Griffith
    • Writers
      • Thomas Dixon Jr.(adapted from his novel: "The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan") (play "The Clansman") (novel "The Leopard's Spots")
      • D.W. Griffith
      • Frank E. Woods
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      President Woodrow Wilson is famously rumored to have responded to the film with the remark: "It is like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true." After the film became subject of controversy due to its heroic portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan, Wilson denied through his press secretary as to having known about the nature of the film before screening it at the White House, or having ever endorsed it. Nevertheless, Wilson's published works as a historian are closely aligned with the film's negative portrayal of Reconstruction (some of his writings are even quoted onscreen in certain prints of the film). Wilson was also notably a consistent pro-segregationist as President.
    • Goofs
      Car tire tracks are visible in the KKK segment.
    • Quotes

      intertitle: A PLEA FOR THE ART OF THE MOTION PICTURE / We do not fear censorship, for we have no wish to offend with improprieties or obscenities, but we do demand, as a right, the liberty to show the dark side of wrong, that we may illuminate the bright side of virtue - the same liberty that is conceded to the art of the written word - the art to which we owe the Bible and the works of Shakespeare.

    • Crazy credits
      The following was listed in the opening credits: A PLEA FOR THE ART OF THE MOTION PICTURE: We do not fear censorship, for we have no wish to offend with improprieties or obscenities, but we do demand, as a right, the liberty to show the dark side of wrong, that we may illuminate the bright side of virtue - the same liberty that is conceeded to the art of the written word - that art to which we owe the Bible and the works of Shakespeare.
    • Alternate versions
      In both 1921 and 1927, edited versions of the film were released to reflect current political viewpoints.
    • Connections
      Edited into Coonskin (1974)

    User reviews379

    Review
    Top review
    Fascinating, expensive movie.
    This movie had the stockholders quaking when they saw the costs mount. It was the most expensive movie made up to that time, and it shows that silent films really COULD create spectacle on a grand scale.

    One of the posters remarked on how ridiculous the Klansmen's hoods looked. Actually, the original "ghost costumes" were all homemade and there was no standardized uniform- some had spikes on the head, horns, painted faces on the masks, etc.

    I myself had an ancestor who was a member of the Reconstruction Ku Klux Klan, and they saw themselves as guerilla fighters against an occupying power, not as terrorists. Today we can condemn them. At the time, it must have seemed to them that the war was over, but that the battle lines were still firmly drawn.

    This film is a good peek into the attitude of the general public in 1915 about Reconstruction. It became a national obsession, and probably gave impetus to Col. William Joseph Simmons's decision to "resurrect" the Klan in that year.
    helpful•26
    17
    • Douglas_Holmes
    • Oct 25, 2002

    FAQ1

    • Wallace Reid---What Happened to Him?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 21, 1915 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • None
    • Also known as
      • In the Clutches of the Ku Klux Klan
    • Filming locations
      • Calexico, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • David W. Griffith Corp.
      • Epoch Producing Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $110,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 15 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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