A Couple of Thoughts Before I Begin My Official Writing
- We discussed breaking down a specific scene and describing why the choices DW Griffith chose for framing that scene were so successful in stoking the flames of racial tensions in the country
- Making those connections with the discourse of science and law, and how they fueled the fire of success surrounding the film
- Examining DW Griffiths use of film techniques to instigate emotions in his divided audience; and whether that was his intent or not
- Making connections from the documentary to the assignment
Introductory Paragraph Brainstorm
America is a bonfire covered in gasoline, just waiting eagerly for a match to land on them and instigate a complete race war. Well, what could have been a perfect match then DW Griffith’s film, The Birth of a Nation? A Kentucky small town boy, there is no doubt that he made a piece of cinematography excellence, his name will always be said in film history; but in regard to American history, his callous and false retelling of Southern African Americans did nothing but set Civil Rights movements back decades more and fuel the white supremacist fire working its way through naive America. Politicans stand in the public eye barking about “impure unions” between non-whites and the good white people of America, scientists spout lies born of biased and false tests, all to fabricate a narrative that anyone that isn’t white, is only dangerous and uncontrollable. DW Griffith fed his narrative, foolishly, to this hungry public begging for a reason to not have to treat, the newly freed culture of humans they referred to decades earlier to as “slaves”, as equals. DW Griffth single-handedly answered every irrational fear of the ignorant white America, and fed into the narrative the politicians and scientists peddled to the public. He only worsened the racial tension and practically begged the public to bring back the Klan. He set the rights of non-whites, “non-Americans,” back by decades, if not more. He was the catalyst that reinvigorated the fire of racial hate and violence in America in 1915.
Mary's Blog 