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Nima Golchin

Professor Luthra

Anthropology 2

April 18, 2017

Birth of a Nation

Describe 3 major themes of this film?

I believe the most prominent themes of the movies are racism,

romanization of pre-war south, and war.

By in large, the most constantly recurring theme is race. The film uses

many facets to try to portray African Americans as the root of US problems, by

depicting them as unintelligent and overall inferior to their anglo-Saxon peers.

Furthermore, the film criticizes the North for allowing more equality within the

South during Reconstruction. Griffith pulls from the writings of president

Woodrow Wilson in A History of American People as professional support for

his claims.
Although it is well known that the South ultimately lost the war. Griffith

makes a valiant attempt to depict those fighting for the Confederacy as the

underdogs who prevail in spite of being outnumbered and poor. For example, in

the movie, Camerons troops are only defeated because they have been

malnourished and outnumbered. However, in spite of imminent defeat, the

confederate soldiers fight in trenches knowing they will die. Conversely, he

depicts the Northern Union forces as cowardly, only depicting scenes where they

retreat or stay behind their cannons in fear.

Finally the film depicts a fond memory of the pre-war South. He presents a

picture of his own plantation in Piedmont, South Carolina where where slaves
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pick cotton in satisfaction and happily dance to entertain their masters as the

proper life to live. Interestingly, the films romanticization of the antebellum south

and depiction of the Klu Klux Klan as honorable heroes spurred the new order of

the KKK when it was released.

Who is its target audience and what message does it want to convey about the

American nation?

The target audience for the film was largely composed of wealthy, white

males who sought a scapegoat for the economic problems unfolding during the

early 20th century. The film also served as a revival of racism and racial

supremacy which some communities, especially in the South, identified with.

How are Black people and the institution of slavery portrayed in the film?

The film depicts African-American characters as unintelligent, sexually

aggressive, and generally unclean. This is in accordance with the very

backwards notions held by those living in the antebellum South. The institution of

slavery is promoted and depicted as the morally correct solution for both White

men who need labor and their African-American counterparts who need

guidance and structure.