This epic Civil War drama portrays life in the South during and after the Civil War. The film derives its emotional power from its moving constantly from the large drama to intimate human stories, in particular the war’s effects on a Northern family (the Stonemans) and its Southern counterpart (the Camerons). It is one of the most influential films in the history of the cinema and, because of its racism, one of the most controversial. Also available on 35mm and VHS. Other versions also available on 16mm.
Credits: Producer, director, D.W. Griffith ; writers, D.W. Griffith, Frank E. Woods ; photography, G.W. Bitzer.
Cast: Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Henry Walthall, Ralph Lewis.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
F000001
Language
No spoken word
Subject categories
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Ku-Klux Klan
Feature films → Feature films - United States
History → United States - History
Sound/audio
Musical soundtrack only
Colour
Tinted
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)