The birth of a nation - Essay Example

Their main objections have focused on specific scenes in the movie that involve “a white girl killing herself to escape from a Negro pursuer and a black politician coercing his benefactor to give his daughter in marriage,” as can be discerned from the contents of a letter from the Secretary of the NAACP (The Birth of a Nation and Black Protest). Besides, there have also been disputes against the historical accuracy of the events portrayed in the movie and many believe that Griffith has distorted the facts to suit his interest of serving the cause of white supremacy.

However, all the debates and controversies aside, there is no denying the fact that “The Birth of a Nation” is an elegant work of art of epical proportions and a classic that has set the standard for future movies, besides being the most expensive film produced till that time. One of the best aspects of the movie is that it portrays the ravages of war in such a palpable manner that the audience will start hating the concept of war. Movies, as the most popular mass communication media, serve the purpose of creating awareness in people about various aspects of human life.

“The Birth of a Nation,” from this perspective, can be understood as having undertaken a noble mission of apprising the audience of the destructive power of war and the havoc it can wreak on human lives. The movie displays a message immediately after the titles are shown, which reads, “If in this work we have conveyed to the mind the ravages of war to the end that war may be held in abhorrence, this effort will not have been in vain” (Griffith 1915). To ensure communication of this theme to the audience, Griffith resorts to the depiction of various situations that his characters confront in the story before, during and after the war.

The senior Cameron, petting little puppies and then putting a kitten on top of the puppy, is symbolic of a