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The Birth of a Nation

Play trailer Poster for The Birth of a Nation 1915 3h 10m History Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 40% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Two families, abolitionist Northerners the Stonemans and Southern landowners the Camerons, intertwine in director D.W. Griffith's controversial Civil War epic. When Confederate colonel Ben Cameron (Henry B. Walthall) is captured in battle, nurse Elsie Stoneman (Lillian Gish) petitions for his pardon. In Reconstruction-era South Carolina, Cameron founds the Ku Klux Klan, battling Elsie's congressman father (Ralph Lewis) and his African-American protégé, Silas Lynch (George Siegmann).

Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker 08/19/2013
Problematically, Birth of a Nation wasn't just a seminal commercial spectacle but also a decisively original work of art -- in effect, the founding work of cinematic realism, albeit a work that was developed to pass lies off as reality. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian 08/19/2013
The quasi-Victorian Griffith was in so many respects way ahead of his time even if his philosophy and mind-set could often be said to be behind it. Go to Full Review David Parkinson Empire Magazine 08/19/2013
3/5
The Birth of a Nation has become a staple of any film studies course, for its excellent performances, thrilling action sequences and epic landscapes. However it's subject matter is much more controversial now. Go to Full Review Zita Short InSession Film 02/03/2023
B-
You can make all the arguments in the world, but it is still impossible to look past the racial politics. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 08/10/2021
4/4
As a work of art, it is unforgettable; as a social document, it is unforgivable. Quality of Movie: 4 stars. Content of Movie: 1 star. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 07/24/2020
8/10
More prominent than the adventuresome Civil War reenactments or the educational historical retellings (the ones based on actual records) are the fictional love stories. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Pillow R @Unset335 6d The Birth of a Nation is morally repugnant. See more Robinson M @Robinson.actor May 8 Es una película importante en la historia del cine, de eso no tengo dudas. Sin embargo me costó bastante terminarla. Puede ser por el estilo, la época, o el contexto. Sin embargo reconozco que toca temas sensibles, y hasta interesantes, aunque pueden llegar a ser delicados para ciertas personas. Pero varias de las situaciones que nos muestran van hilando una historia llamativa, aunque desde mi punto, no deja de ser pesada para ver. No es mala, todo lo contrario, es buena y se nota el avance del cine de ese entonces en el punto de esta película. Solo que en lo personal no terminé de conectar del todo con ella. See more Mark F @RT00531662 Apr 27 Such unfortunate racism, undeniably embarrassing. The attempts to tell a large, sprawling Civil War story should get some credit, but you must hold your nose in the process. Watch for technical prowess, ambitious battle scenes only See more Samuel H. @Samuelhaubner Feb 28 I don’t know Rotten Tomatoes won’t let me give it a half star, but it is a half star. I’ve never been so bored with the three hour film about the klan. It is very offensive. See more 20CB @20thCB Nov 3 The biggest OPE of all OPEs See more Scott W @Scot_345 Sep 22 it's for the MAGA crowd. See more Read all reviews
The Birth of a Nation

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Cast & Crew

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D.W. Griffith

Director

Lillian Gish

Elsie Stoneman

Mae Marsh

Flora Cameron

Henry B. Walthall

Col. Ben Cameron

Miriam Cooper

Margaret Cameron

Mary Alden

Lydia Brown

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The Birth of a Nation

The Birth of a Nation (1915) The Birth of a Nation (1915) The Birth of a Nation (1915) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Two families, abolitionist Northerners the Stonemans and Southern landowners the Camerons, intertwine in director D.W. Griffith's controversial Civil War epic. When Confederate colonel Ben Cameron (Henry B. Walthall) is captured in battle, nurse Elsie Stoneman (Lillian Gish) petitions for his pardon. In Reconstruction-era South Carolina, Cameron founds the Ku Klux Klan, battling Elsie's congressman father (Ralph Lewis) and his African-American protégé, Silas Lynch (George Siegmann).
Director
D.W. Griffith
Producer
D.W. Griffith
Screenwriter
Thomas F. Dixon Jr., Thomas F. Dixon Jr., D.W. Griffith, Frank E. Woods, Thomas F. Dixon Jr.
Distributor
Reel Media International [us], Continental Home Vídeo [br], Allied Artists Pictures, Hollywood Classics, Kino Video, Lumivision, Joseph Brenner Associates Inc. [us], Image Entertainment Inc., Republic Pictures
Production Co
David W. Griffith Corp., Epoch Producing Corporation
Genre
History, Drama, War
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 3, 1915, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 8, 2016
Runtime
3h 10m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)