The Birth of a Nation

Birth of a Nation is an American film that focuses on the birth of the Klu Klux Klan, and was filmed in 1915 by Director D.W.Griffith. The film was based on the novel "The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan", written by Thomas Dixon Jr, and follows the Stoneman family and their situation, being affected by the American Civil wars. The film follows the family through the wars and leads up to the death of President Abraham Lincoln and the birth and rise of the White Power group, the "Ku Klux Klan"

The film portrays the Klan as the heroes at the end of the day, who bravely save a white family by being killed at the hands of the African Americans (despite the reason they were being hunted was because one of the men had killed a black man). The film has many aspects that have been criticised at the time of release right through the history of cinema up till today. The use of blackface was a major controversy to many when the film was first released, as well as the portrayal of African Americans as simpletons, and as sexually aggressive towards women. The film also paints the KKK in a positive light, the film itself helping a resurgence and reform of the White Supremacy group. The Birth of A Nation was used as a recruitment tool in the 1970s by David Duke, former grand wizard of the KKK.

at the time of the films release, another film was made to combat the negatives brought forth by the 1915 film. Within Our Gates was released in 1920 and was directed by Oscar Devereaux Micheaux, and is regarded as one of the oldest films directed by an African American individual. The film covers the portrayal of minorities during the early years of American Cinema during the early twentieth century. This film is regarded as incredibly important because it portrays the struggles and violence that countless black Americans faced throughout history, and is told by the people who experienced similar difficulties as African Americans living in a still largely racist America.

Griffiths follow up film was created by the director as a response to the backlash that The Birth of a nation received. The director was hurt by all of the negative responses he received, which led him to create Intolerance: Loves struggle Throughout the Ages in 1916 to demonstrate how societies intolerance can be damaging and harmful.