The Birth of a Nation (1915)

★★★1/2

D.W. Griffith’s controversial silent masterpiece is a task and a pain to watch. Two families (a Southern family and a Northern family) face the perils of the Civil War as well as the grueling Reconstruction Era. The film, which is 3 hours long, was very controversial when it came out as it argued for the KKK as well as the Southern spirit. However, despite what it stood for in terms of production and costuming, it’s still a task to watch. It’s a film that should only be viewed once if you are a serious film fan but other than that… it can be difficult.