D W Griffith's The Birth of a Nation - Movie Review Example

Film Analysis Name Institution Tutor Date Introduction D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) is a masterpiece of silent film which although also considered the first blockbuster ever due to its excellent performance, also caused a lot of controversy due to its outright racism (Stokes 2010). Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990) is on its part famous for being among the best gangster films ever made, considering the insights and unique approach it gives to the understanding of the workings of the Mafia underworld (Linfield 1990). The two films are from different historical eras, so that while The Birth of a Nation brings out social issues in a racially tense America, Goodfellas is about the underground world of crime, its operations and motivations in a later 20th century societal context. This paper juxtaposes D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation with Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, revealing the ideas promulgated about America within the two films. D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) The Birth of a Nation provides an insight into inter-racial marriage and sex. There is the portrayal of black men as hypersexualized and dangerous to white women. McEwan (2007) explains that it clearly expresses the threat of sexual amalgamation which was common among the white populations in the early twentieth century, as black sexuality was generally feared, leading to many black people being lynched on grounds of fabricated rape charges, providing an excuse for their violence. A number of black men, exemplified by a politician named Silas Lynch and a soldier named Gus are threats to white women both in the south and north because of their excessive sexual appetites. Griffith appears to reinforce this when Gus chases a white woman named Flora, who chooses to die rather than submit to him. At the end of the film, some Northern soldiers hold guns over some women’s heads while under siege by blacks who are trying to force their way into a cabin. The soldiers seem ready to kill the women rather than leaving them at the mercy of the ‘lustful’ blacks (The Birth of a Nation 1915). Black empowerment and its challenges are addressed as social issues. The film provides racist propaganda, beginning from the Civil War up to the saving of the South from ‘destructive’ rule by blacks in the Reconstruction era (Bennett 2012). Emancipated slaves are presented as people who did not deserve freedom, with priorities that are as mediocre as establishing laws that will just enable them to have sexual access to white women, and Stokes (2010) informs that this is likely to be a way of supporting the time’s contemporary narrative that the Reconstruction was a mistake. Freed slaves commit mistakes all through, and are only fond of alcohol and creating chaos. There is the portrayal of Abraham Lincoln as a hero, but this does not make much sense considering that the film generally appears to be pro-Jim Crow, anti-war and pro-South. The idea of supremacist groupings is supported in The Birth of a Nation. The movie presents the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as a group of heroes that help to ensure a continued minority rule by whites and order in the country (Stokes 2010). A group of ‘noble’ white people led by Ben Stoneman inspire the creation of the Ku Klux Klan as a way of avenging the wrongs of a black man, and the film suggests that the motivation was entirely fighting for the dignity of women, who were under threat from the sexual excesses of black people (The Birth of a Nation 1915). The idea of the KKK at the time of the movie’s making is not the kind of hate-group known today, rather an upper-class, reconstruction era, secret white supremacist society, and this is celebrated in the film, which was a driving force behind the reemergence of the KKK (Stern & Gallen 2014). According to Dixon (2014), it had been banned by the government during the 1870s, but rose again in December 1915 in Georgia, where apart from hating blacks, the new version rejected Semites, immigrants and Catholics. The facts presented here indicate that Birth of a Nation could have played a significant part in ensuring a renewed acceptance of a group that had originally been created as an anti-federal and anti-black terror outfit. Gender roles are generally oversimplified in The Birth of a Nation, and always shaped by race. Black men are generally crude people, who brutalize white women in the south. The white male on the other hand is a stereotyped brave and chivalrous character hence retaliations of southerners against blacks throughout the film are often supposedly due to chivalry. The characterization of women is rather too simplistic. They are seemingly objects to be lusted after by black males and be rescued by white men (The Birth of a Nation 1915). Black women are on the other hand shown as accepting their place. In one scene, Lydia, the black mistress of the abolitionist senator named Austin Stoneman is seen luring him into a sexual relationship, an unfair depiction considering that black women were considerably abused by white males, but this is not shown in the film probably because according to Wallace (2003), when black women were abused, there was no undermining of the white race’s power the way that abuse of white women by black men would. Birth of a Nation represents the anti-war sentiment in America at its time. The film’s date of production coincides with a period when the First World War was ongoing in Europe, with the United States trying to keep away from it (Venzon 2013). Dialogue cards in the movie condemn war and the waste that is associated with it. There are scenes from the Civil War which bring out both the kind of glory brought by war, but mostly its human cost. Images of death are shown, with an intertitle, “War’s peace”. This shows several dead soldiers, in a seeming explanation of the impact of such an unnecessary process. For this reason, it may be argued that even if Griffith comes out as a racist, he is a cinematic humanist who is against the war that the south wages against the Union (The Birth of a Nation 1915). There is the attempt to rally white people from the entire country. According to McEwan (2007), the film is about the Civil War through experiences of Southern and Northern families, indicating the flows of friendship between them and the enmity that develops with division of the country. The first act in the film presents an America that is largely rural and idealistic prior to the Civil War. This could have been done to show that the North was originally fine, and should have been left as it is. In the story, blacks that were not loyal ended up working with carpetbaggers from the North, and they afterwards cause a lot of degradation and looting of the south. The final redemption however comes when whites in the South ended up getting blacks out of authority, reclaiming their land and honor and getting back together with whites from the north (The Birth of a Nation 1915). The Birth of a Nation therefore suggests that white Americans whether in the South or North, as shown through the two families featured are capable of reconciling their differences and uniting more through recognizing and appreciating the black peoples’ inferiority. The acceptability of racism by the white population is reinforced by Birth of a Nation. The film provides a story that is apologetic to slavery and portrays the whites in the South as victims, and presents a philosophy which excuses the inequality and violence that was associated with Jim Crow. The racist component, rather than the restoration of the United States seems to be the kind of ‘nation’ that the title suggests. It is a place where there is extensive voter suppression, discrimination of blacks who are institutionally second class citizens and extrajudicial lynching. There is the attempt to neutralize this by having some few good blacks in the story, but these are also usually former slaves who are loyal to white former masters. The film is quite apologetic about the kind of attitudes expressed, which according to Olund (2013) are opinions of a white man from the South, Thomas Dixon, upon whose racist play titled ‘The Clansman’ the story was based. This was a man who had been raised during the 19th century and was therefore likely to have found black people not worthy or having rights. In casting, white actors are used to act the part of black villains, with blackface, with poor makeup used. This could easily be interpreted to have been because a black actor could not have played a sexual scene as this would not have been accepted by the audience, hence the need for making it obvious from the bad makeup that they were actually white people. Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990) Like many gangster films, this draws a parallel between the capitalist world and the world of crime (O'Kane 2002). The way that capitalism is structured creates a need to consume, and among most people, inability to get money to purchase all they are taught that they need. Capitalism in this way motivates criminal behaviour through placement of excessive premium on the generation of income (Albanese 2014). Goodfellas is about economic ambition within a capitalistic environment, as Karen and Henry are from rather humble backgrounds, but pursue a highly luxurious lifestyle. Karen explains that whatever Henry was doing did not appear to be crime, but ‘an enterprising venture which could not be compared with other men who would be seated waiting for handouts. Scorsese interestingly manages to take away the focus from the top individuals in the mafia hierarchy to rather minor participants. Karen and Henry Hill are ordinary, middle class individuals who go through the usual challenges that face members of their class. As a result, they are easy to understand, although they are a parody of the American society as they are into crime. The middle-class focus enables a sharper contrasting of the extreme materialism of gang members and the life of a simple citizen (Goodfellas 1990). Goodfellas illustrates the extent of gender inclusion in gang life. When Karen, the character who later becomes Henry's wife is introduced in the story, a second dimension comes in, allowing the viewer to understand the elements of gangs which are totally female-run. For instance, there is a hostess party where wives talk about their husbands. Goodfellas has provided a lot of time to women characters, which is not a common feature in gang-related movies. Karen Hill is the one giving her part of the story, explaining that his attraction to Henry was due to his fame and clout, and also the fact that he had given her a gun to hide (Goodfellas 1990). The film reveals the nature of stratification within the criminal world. There is, as usual, a clear kind of caste system in organized crime (Albanese 2014). Except for one character, Tommy, the others do not have total Sicilian birthrights, and therefore do not waste their time imagining that they can attain higher social statuses, as this is already closed to them. The status that they have arises from associating with the more powerful figures, leading to their better treatment, allocation of seats in the front-row and first class service. They can only try and affirm their value in nightclubs and bars. Even within ranks, there is still social stratification. For instance, the upper class is made up of men who are well-protected, ethnically pure and highly influential and under them there are others, the earners, street hoods and wiseguys (Goodfellas 1990). The role of identity in influencing criminal behaviour is addressed in the film. Henry for instance starts getting into the mob’s secret world quite early in life, marking the beginning of Goodfellas as a story. He establishes links with the wiseguys near his home, and feels better about it because it at least makes him feel like he belongs somewhere. He manages to earn respect and even overcomes the pressure arising from the values that his parents try to forcefully instill in him. There are clear rules that guide mob members. In these for instance, there is a hierarchical authority structure, in which loyalty is formalized and if any member is arrested, he has to sacrifice himself for the organization’s sake, and anyone who goes against this is heavily punished by the mob. When Henry is caught first for sale of cigarettes, the others consider it as a rite of passage, of becoming a man (Goodfellas 1990). There are diversions from conventional morality in the film. Goodfellas is not about salvation or justice. According to Linfield (1990), threats and actual violence are accepted as the normal way of doing business, with the wise guys in the film for instance often reacting with laughter to violent events. The world of gang members is also insulated from the rest of society, definitely because their work requires some element of secrecy. Peers also fear each other, so that incriminating information is kept away from one another, and family has on its part to be ignorant of what is happening. Goodfellas focuses only on the criminal life of the wiseguys, while totally separating it from the normal, lawful world, therefore operations of the mob are revealed better. Henry’s life particularly no longer seems determined by moral pressures and even in the courtrooms, there is no moral position taken with regard to what he has done. The FBI, also overlooks the natural retribution that Henry is expected to receive from the society as a way of reaching the plea bargain through which Henry helps to catch the crime bosses, namely Paulie and Jimmy. The criminals are able to go for what they want whenever they want it, and in ways that they think best. As a result, they are heroes within an outlaw environment where influence and independence is achieved through violence. The nature of masculinity is addressed well in Goodfellas. The film manages to methodically relate the gangster characters’ lives, and extensively covers the typical gangster life-style, which According to O'Kane (2002), is highly masculine. The gangsters are all men, and their lives are guided by a mob code of conduct which is quite similar to the overall male social code. Their society highly values assertiveness, honesty, honour and resilience and each character will always take care and cover up for one another whenever necessary. Physical appearance and possessions are emphasized, and respectable men within it are shown to be those with money, owning the fine things in life and being able to compromise justice whenever in trouble through bribery or intimidation. The men in Goodfellas show dominance by means of cruel approaches and violence. Family also has a significant role, as the mob’s code seems to suggest that having a family, even if with occasional violence and several mistresses is still a necessary component of success. There is value attached to maintenance of a decent and family-conscious front. Conclusion In conclusion, the two films that have been discussed are not easy to compare, due to their extremely different themes and historical contexts. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation is set in the period before and during the Reconstruction in America. It is a racist film that reveals issues of interracial marriage and sex, black empowerment and racist movements, the racially differentiated gender roles, anti-war sentiment and acceptability of racism among the white population. Scorsese’s Goodfellas is on the other hand a gangster film which addresses the materialistic and capitalistic motivation of organized crime. Gender inclusion, identity issues morality and masculinity within the criminal sub-cultures are the identifiable issues that arise. Bibliography Albanese, J (2014) Organized Crime: From the Mob to Transnational Organized Crime. Routledge, New York Bennett, B (2012) Home Songs and the Melodramatic Imagination: From "Home, Sweet Home" to the Birth of a Nation. Journal of American Studies Vol. 46 (1): 171-187 Dixon, T (2014) Clansman: an Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan. The University Press of Kentucky, Kentucky Goodfellas. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Warner Bros., 1990. Film. Linfield, S (1990) 'Goodfellas' Looks at the Banality of Mob Life: Films. New York Times Late Edition, 16th September, A.19 McEwan, P (2007) Racist Film: Teaching the Birth of a Nation. Cinema Journal Vol. 47 (1): 98-101,115 O'Kane, J (2002) The Crooked Ladder: Gangsters, Ethnicity, and the American Dream. Transaction Publishers, Piscataway Olund, E (2013) Geography Written in Lightning: Race, Sexuality, and Regulatory Aesthetics in The Birth of a Nation. Annals of the Association of American Geographers Vol. 103(4): 925–943 Stokes, M (2010) Race, Politics, and Censorship: D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation in France, 1916-1923. Cinema Journal Vol. 50 (1): 19-38 Stern, S and Gallen, I (2014) D.W. Griffith's 100th Anniversary the Birth of a Nation: a History of the Most Controversial Motion Picture of All Time. FriesenPress, Victoria, BC The Birth of a Nation. Dir. DW Griffith. David W. Griffith Corp., 1915. Film Venzon, C (2013) The United States in the First World War: An Encyclopedia. Routledge, London Wallace, M (2003) The Good Lynching and The Birth of a Nation: Discourses and Aesthetics of Jim Crow. Cinema Journal Vol. 43 (1): 85-104 Read More

Emancipated slaves are presented as people who did not deserve freedom, with priorities that are as mediocre as establishing laws that will just enable them to have sexual access to white women, and Stokes (2010) informs that this is likely to be a way of supporting the time’s contemporary narrative that the Reconstruction was a mistake. Freed slaves commit mistakes all through, and are only fond of alcohol and creating chaos. There is the portrayal of Abraham Lincoln as a hero, but this does not make much sense considering that the film generally appears to be pro-Jim Crow, anti-war and pro-South.

The idea of supremacist groupings is supported in The Birth of a Nation. The movie presents the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as a group of heroes that help to ensure a continued minority rule by whites and order in the country (Stokes 2010). A group of ‘noble’ white people led by Ben Stoneman inspire the creation of the Ku Klux Klan as a way of avenging the wrongs of a black man, and the film suggests that the motivation was entirely fighting for the dignity of women, who were under threat from the sexual excesses of black people (The Birth of a Nation 1915).

The idea of the KKK at the time of the movie’s making is not the kind of hate-group known today, rather an upper-class, reconstruction era, secret white supremacist society, and this is celebrated in the film, which was a driving force behind the reemergence of the KKK (Stern & Gallen 2014). According to Dixon (2014), it had been banned by the government during the 1870s, but rose again in December 1915 in Georgia, where apart from hating blacks, the new version rejected Semites, immigrants and Catholics.

The facts presented here indicate that Birth of a Nation could have played a significant part in ensuring a renewed acceptance of a group that had originally been created as an anti-federal and anti-black terror outfit. Gender roles are generally oversimplified in The Birth of a Nation, and always shaped by race. Black men are generally crude people, who brutalize white women in the south. The white male on the other hand is a stereotyped brave and chivalrous character hence retaliations of southerners against blacks throughout the film are often supposedly due to chivalry.

The characterization of women is rather too simplistic. They are seemingly objects to be lusted after by black males and be rescued by white men (The Birth of a Nation 1915). Black women are on the other hand shown as accepting their place. In one scene, Lydia, the black mistress of the abolitionist senator named Austin Stoneman is seen luring him into a sexual relationship, an unfair depiction considering that black women were considerably abused by white males, but this is not shown in the film probably because according to Wallace (2003), when black women were abused, there was no undermining of the white race’s power the way that abuse of white women by black men would.

Birth of a Nation represents the anti-war sentiment in America at its time. The film’s date of production coincides with a period when the First World War was ongoing in Europe, with the United States trying to keep away from it (Venzon 2013). Dialogue cards in the movie condemn war and the waste that is associated with it. There are scenes from the Civil War which bring out both the kind of glory brought by war, but mostly its human cost. Images of death are shown, with an intertitle, “War’s peace”.

This shows several dead soldiers, in a seeming explanation of the impact of such an unnecessary process. For this reason, it may be argued that even if Griffith comes out as a racist, he is a cinematic humanist who is against the war that the south wages against the Union (The Birth of a Nation 1915). There is the attempt to rally white people from the entire country. According to McEwan (2007), the film is about the Civil War through experiences of Southern and Northern families, indicating the flows of friendship between them and the enmity that develops with division of the country.

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