the birth of a nation by Lauren Hart

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Slide Notes

the birth of a nation

Published on Nov 21, 2015

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

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History of the Civil War and Reconstruction through the eyes and experiences of Southern whites who opposed the political and social progress made by newly freed African Americans after the Civil War.

Photo by Bob from Caledon

Release

1915 American silent drama film
Directed by D. W. Griffith
Based on the novel and play The Clansman, by Thomas Dixon, Jr.
Landmark in American cinema & American racism

Photo by Leo Reynolds

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Plot

Part 1 - Civil War
follows the Northern "Stonemans" and the Southern Camerons
Stoneman boys visit the Cameron family in SC and fall in love
The Civil War begins and the families join their respective armies
Lincoln's assasination is dramatized at the end of this part

Stoneman, is used to symbolically suggest the stoicism and coldness which characterizes the North in contrast to the film’s depiction of the South as warmer, brighter, and a more familial place

Photo by Penn State Special Collections Library

plot

Part 2 - Reconstruction
Black soldiers parade through the streets because they have more power
whites are turned away while blacks stuff the ballot boxes
White children pretend to be ghosts to scare black children --> KKK
Double honeymoon of the stoneman and cameron children

Photo by brizzle born and bred

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audience

African-American audiences wept their malicious portrayal in the film
Northern white audiences cheered
Riots broke out in Boston and Philadelphia
Release was banned in many other cities

Photo by itotamayo

outcome

NAACP fought against the film and tried unsuccessfully to get it banned
KKK gained millions of members
Griffith regretted the racial prejudice that the film promoted
tried to make amends by making a film attacking race prejudice
This film "Intolerance" wasn't nearly as popular as "The Birth of a Nation"

Photo by thriol

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Significance - Technique

pioneered camera techniques (panorama, vignette, still shots)
color tinting for dramatic purposes and extras in battles
musical score written for an orchestra
the music included well-known songs, classical, and original works

Photo by all that improbable blue

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significance - filmmaking

America's first feature-length motion picture and a box-office smash
The first screening of a feature film in the White House (Wilson)
Films were short, uninspiring, poorly produced, acted, and edited
after this film, filmmaking became an art form
Griffith is regarded as the "Father of Cinema"

Photo by Jim Sneddon

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SIgnificance - history

distorted portrait of the South after the Civil War
glorified the KKK (as the savior from black tyranny) and denigrated blacks
Presented blacks as dominating Southern whites
It was the opposite of what actually happened at the time

Photo by Ron Cogswell

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Significance

Civil Religion - framework for what it means to be American
story of the origins and identity of the United States
It gives us the opportunity to stare the ugly face of racism head-on
It raises the important issue of propaganda versus art
demonstrates the power and influence of art

general religion, rooted in the documents, characters and events of American history that shapes America's self-understanding.

American civil religion often links American identity with particular constructions of the idea of "freedom;" consequently certain notions of "freedom" become normative for American behavior.

story of the origins and identity of the United States: though the life of the nation was peaceful in its early years, the presence of blacks has been a persistent source of disharmony.

Photo by donsutherland1

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