A lot of people see this film as an artistic triumph. But the fact that it's well made doesn't redeem the underlying message. You can say that it was a different time... make excuses for it... But there are some films that are best viewed as a regrettable part of American history.
This film is quite simply a justification for the genocide and subjugation of African Americans and a recruitment video for the KKK. It warps history and attempts to manipulate the audience into believing offensive racial stereotypes to justify white supremacy. It romanticizes plantation slavery in the south, when in fact it was a time of suffering for many. Most of the black characters in this movie are just white men in black-face, portraying extremely offensive racial stereotypes. It ignores the fact that many white individuals did not live this lifestyle, and lived in poverty during this time (another HUGE cause of the Civil War which is virtually ignored today)and instead tries to rally whites to it's cause by referring to it as an ideal time.
The class I watched this with ALL thought it was ridiculous and completely offensive, regardless of race and gender. Granted... in 1915, it was a different time and a different culture. They viewed this film as a piece of art. But we're in 2009. Racial relations have changed. There is still an undeniable racial divide, but it is nowhere near the levels found before the first World War. It's time we stopped making excuses for films like this. This is nothing more than well made KKK Propaganda presented under the guise of history. I give it the 1 it truly deserves as a film that still exists in our society. However, I will give it this... Despite it's problems, it is important to watch this film from an academic standpoint: the ONLY reason being to understand our artistic history and the mistakes made. It should be viewed as a marker for how far we've come, and how far we still need to go to achieve true equality.
This film is quite simply a justification for the genocide and subjugation of African Americans and a recruitment video for the KKK. It warps history and attempts to manipulate the audience into believing offensive racial stereotypes to justify white supremacy. It romanticizes plantation slavery in the south, when in fact it was a time of suffering for many. Most of the black characters in this movie are just white men in black-face, portraying extremely offensive racial stereotypes. It ignores the fact that many white individuals did not live this lifestyle, and lived in poverty during this time (another HUGE cause of the Civil War which is virtually ignored today)and instead tries to rally whites to it's cause by referring to it as an ideal time.
The class I watched this with ALL thought it was ridiculous and completely offensive, regardless of race and gender. Granted... in 1915, it was a different time and a different culture. They viewed this film as a piece of art. But we're in 2009. Racial relations have changed. There is still an undeniable racial divide, but it is nowhere near the levels found before the first World War. It's time we stopped making excuses for films like this. This is nothing more than well made KKK Propaganda presented under the guise of history. I give it the 1 it truly deserves as a film that still exists in our society. However, I will give it this... Despite it's problems, it is important to watch this film from an academic standpoint: the ONLY reason being to understand our artistic history and the mistakes made. It should be viewed as a marker for how far we've come, and how far we still need to go to achieve true equality.