The Birth of a Nation
Seen it?1915 | 195 min | Drama, History, War
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes) and people are still talking about it, though it had a lukewarm 5.9 out of 10 from audiences. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved Paths of Glory or All Quiet on the Western Front, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 3 hr 15 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 3 hr 15 min.
- Made in 1915: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Two families, abolitionist Northerners the Stonemans and Southern landowners the Camerons, intertwine. When Confederate colonel Ben Cameron is captured in battle, nurse Elsie Stoneman petitions for his pardon. In Reconstruction-era South Carolina, Cameron founds the Ku Klux Klan, battling Elsie's congressman father and his African-American protégé, Silas Lynch.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
91% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesBelow par
5.9 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$100 million worldwide on a $100K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactVery strong
About 768K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by D.W. Griffith
- Lillian GishStoneman's Daughter Elsie
- Mae MarshFlora Cameron
- Henry B. WalthallCol. Ben Cameron
- Miriam CooperMargaret Cameron
- Mary AldenStoneman's Housekeeper Lydia
- Ralph LewisLeader of the House Hon. Austin Stoneman
- George SiegmannLieut. Governor Silas Lynch
- Walter LongGus
- Robert HarronTod
- Wallace ReidJeff, the Blacksmith