The Birth of a Nation: A Controversial Film and Freedom of Speech

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of D.W. Griffith's controversial film, 'The Birth of a Nation.' It explores the film's historical context, its depiction of racial politics, and the mixed responses it generated. The essay examines the arguments surrounding freedom of speech, censorship, and racial uplift that arose in response to the film's release. It delves into the strategies employed by both supporters and opponents of the film, highlighting the complexities of the debate. Furthermore, the essay analyzes how the film's portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan and its impact on the debate surrounding intermarriage shaped the narrative. The essay concludes by reflecting on the film's lasting legacy and its continued relevance in discussions about race, freedom of expression, and historical representation.

Running Head: Birth of Nation
Birth of nation
Dimension to freedom
of speech

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Table of Contents
The Birth of a Nation...................................................................................................................................2
Summary of the movie................................................................................................................................2
Mixed responses to the movie.....................................................................................................................4
Dimension of freedom of speech.................................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................7

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The Birth of a Nation
“The Birth of a Nation,"by D.W. Griffith's (1915) was an epic movie which was considered to
the greatest film of its time but was also considered to be the most controversial movie for its
very sensitive topic of racial politics. It was thought to be “the greatest drama movie ever made."
But besides getting praises, the movie has also gained opposition from many. African-Americans
and white liberals both have considered the film as an insult .It is believed that the movie has put
an effort in igniting strong feelings against the colored people. The movie shows the history only
depicting supremacy of whites over blacks. Therefore, the movie has been protested by many on
the racial grounds. Before we go further, let’s go through a quick summary of the movie.
Summary of the movie
Griffith’s movie, “The Birth of a Nation” talks about the lives of two families - the Camerons
and the Stonemans.-One Northern and the other Southern.
Stoneman brothers went to visit Camerons in the south where the eldest Stoneman brother-Phil,
fell in love with Margaret Cameron. And on the other hand, Ben Cameron, the eldest Cameron,
fell in love with Phil's sister-Elsie by seeing her photograph. The war begins, and both the
families were placed against each other on the battlefield. All the sons went to the war where
only Ben and Phil could come back alive. Ben was detained by north forces and was sent to the
military hospital, where he met Elsie Cameron. Befoe the end of the war; he was pardoned by
Abraham Lincoln. Thus, Ben returns to Piedmont. But then Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
With the death of the president, radical politicians had taken control over Washington and were
giving harsh punishments to the South for causing the war. These radical politicos were led by
Austin Stoneman-Phil and Elsie's father.

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Stoneman sends Silas Lynch, the governor, to the South who helps slaves who were recently
freed to use their right to vote and to reconstruct their lives. Thus, though is a morally good thing
is shown as pure evil in the movie. Ben hates the new order of things in the South, especially
showing respect to the blacks. Then, Ben's youngest sister, Flora went to the woods to get spring
water, and on being followed by a black soldier-Gus, She ran and reached a giant cliff and
jumped and died. Then, Ben starts to form a new organization for the supremacy of whites and
for general oppression. Its name was ‘Ku Klux Klan.' Lynch arrested Ben's father on the basis of
Ben's participation in the organization. Lynch also captured Elsie and forced Elsie Stoneman for
marrying him.
In the battle, the racist white people kept shooting people for asking them not to be racist. After
all the battle, the Klan emerged out as victorious and takes power over the city- Piedmont where
white people could assert their supremacy and power over black with violence.
Elsie and Ben got married, and so did Phil and Margaret.
The movie showed that the African-Americans who were recently freed were trying to grab the
power from whites during the war and also that the riot had begun by the Negros in the streets,
thereby, giving negative character to the blacks. Silas Lynch, a mulatto governor, forced Elsie
Stoneman for marrying him. By forming the "Ku Klux Klan," the South could be saved from the
black rule. The Klan went to rescue and reunited the nation by its ‘Aryan birthright.' Thus, the
white nation was brought into existence by conquering over blacks. And in the end, Negro was
accused of causing all the Reconstruction.
Thus, it can be said that the movie in itself was racist.

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Mixed responses to the movie
The responses of blacks and whites towards the movie have shown the wide contradiction. Many
authors of that time have agreed to the fact that the protests against the movie were a total
failure. On the other hand, many people believed that the opposition to the movie was so
effective that the white supporters had to initiate a counter campaign to keep their interest in the
return of the protest. Thus, we can say that we have a mixed view.
The defendants of the movie have adopted two strategies to counter the attacks of the protestors.
These strategies cover two main ideas:
 One was the idea of racial uplift.
 The other was freedom of speech.
In the first strategy, people defended the movie by saying that “The Birth of a Nation” has not
shown anything against the Negroes of 1915, rather it has shown the progress of Africans and
Americans by far (since 1951 till date). The movie has been defended by saying that it did not
show today’s black people.
The second strategy was to attack the censorship campaign of the protestors by calling it an
infringement of the right of free speech. People argued that it is a general American sentiment
and it’s their right to free speech. The ‘General American sentiment’ is the freedom of being able
to watch whatever one wants. Censorship is considered as violence against this right of speech of
Americans. It is believed that the freedom of speech gives the right to an individual to the first-
hand view rather than modifying it for others.

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On the basis of this, many people argued that the defending the movie is not defending the racial
politics. Instead, it is believed to be something beyond the issues of race but has now become a
noble gesture in terms of its applicability to the right to free speech.
On the other hand, people, who were protesting against the release of the movie, were of the
opinion that the movie has nothing to do with racial upliftment and there is no free speech
involved, rather it splits blacks from whites.
The white liberals were in a dilemma as many saw the movie as a racial assault and many
believed it to be right to the freedom of speech and information. Many were against the protest as
the believed that the campaigns were creating a rebellious environment.
Dimension of freedom of speech
Freedom of speech was nothing but another way to preserve the racial differences and to
strengthen the identity of white nationals.
At the ending of this counter-campaign, besides race and nation, free speech emerged out as a
new dimension for debate. Nothing could put a stop to all these arguments and then Griffith
himself came in. he said that the protest had no noble cause. The opponents are afraid that the
movie might influence against the intermarriage of whites and blacks. Dixon had publically said
that he hated the movie for one reason only that it was against the intermarriage of blacks to
whites’. Griffith said that this protest which is done not for any noble cause but for only one
reason is an infringement to our basic right and priceless heritage of our nation - freedom of
expression.'

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Thus, in this context, the censorship itself is deemed to be racialist as censor had now become a
black man and free speech had become a white woman. Thus, the racial debate regarding the
movie had begun to mimic the film itself. Now, the campaign against the movie and the
campaign against intermarriage of blacks and whites had become one.

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References
The Birth of a Nation (1915 film by D.W Griffith). YouTube. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3kmVgQHIEY