What is The Birth of a Nation based on?
The Clansman
Birth of a Nation, based on Thomas Dixon’s novel The Clansman, tells the turbulent story of American history in the 1860s, as it followed the fictional lives of two families from the North and the South. Throughout its three hours, African Americans are portrayed as brutish, lazy, morally degenerate and dangerous.
What is the main theme of birth of a nation?
Birth of a Nation is a film that represents racism,” Boyd says. “It is at the foundation of what would become Hollywood.
Who financed Birth of a Nation?
A dozen or so other sources backed him. Parker, Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures and Kevin Turen are responsible for tracking down approximately 60 percent of the film’s funding, with most of the rest coming from Aaron L. Gilbert of Bron Studios.
Is Birth of a Nation public domain?
The silent film classic “The Birth of a Nation” has been ruled to be in the public domain. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision reversed a Federal District Court decision of 1973, and it means that the D. W. Griffith movie is public property and may be distributed and shown without royalt payments.
Who was the producer of The Birth of a Nation?
Griffith co-wrote the screenplay with Frank E. Woods and produced the film with Harry Aitken . The Birth of a Nation is a landmark of film history. It was the first 12- reel film ever made and, at three hours, also the longest up to that point.
How long was The Birth of a Nation movie?
It was the epic story of the relationship between two American families, one Union, the other Confederate, at the time of the Civil War and the Reconstruction that followed. The film ran for more than three hours and employed (according to a New York Times report from the time) 18,000 people and 3,000 horses.
What was the impact of The Birth of a Nation?
In spite of its divisiveness, The Birth of a Nation was a huge commercial success and profoundly influenced both the film industry and American culture. The film has been acknowledged as an inspiration for the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan, which took place only a few months after its release.
Where was The Birth of a Nation first shown?
Wilson praised the movie and made it the first film ever to be screened at the White House. In New York City, The Birth of a Nation promoters sent white-robed horsemen riding through the city to advertise the new film about heroic Klansmen.