"Birth of a Nation" Analysis

In the film "Birth of a Nation" (Griffith, 1914) all of the African Americans are seen as villains, while all whites are viewed upon as heroes. The African Americans danced and performed for their masters. The film tells a story about the old south and the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan. Once a law was passed that made whites salute black officers on the streets, and interracial marriages between blacks and whites made the whites …

…rushed pace. These actions are symptoms of an unnatural relationship. Griffith's work is both a source of pride and a mark of shame. The Birth of a Nation is brutally racist with the heroes of the film being members of the Ku Klux Klan. Griffith blames all of America's problems from before the Civil War on African Americans. From beginning to end, the film is pervaded by the belief that African Americans are less human.