David W. Griffith Corporation; After screenings of the film had caused riots at several theatres, however, The Birth of a Nation was censored in many cities, including New York City, and Griffith became an ardent opponent of censorship of the motion picture. A Dec. 18, 1915 ad for the D.W. Griffith movie The Birth of a Nation at the Avenue Theatre in Vancouver. Describing the Reconstruction era, the film adapts quotations from a history book written by Woodrow Wilson, an adherent of the Dunning School. To understand how it does so is to learn a great deal about film, and even something about evil. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Birth of a Nation and what it means. "The Birth of a Nation" is not a bad film because it argues for evil. [xlix] Vida Goldstein, ‘Woman Suffrage in Australia.’ [l] Clare Wright, 2008. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The controversial film classic ran from Dec. 25, 1915 to Jan. 15, 1916. Utah newspaper praises film, writing it has depicted “authentic history… without fear or favor.” April 28, 1916. A summary of Protesting The Birth of a Nation in 's Birth of a Nation. March 27, 1916. At the close of the film, after the triumph of the Ku Klux Klan, and the final intertitle rolled across screen, all eyes at the White House private screening were on President Woodrow Wilson. How would the President respond to the groundbreaking new film Birth of a Nation… The Birth of a Nation was a sensation after its release in 1915. scene from The Birth of a Nation Scene from The Birth of a Nation (1915), directed by D.W. Griffith. March 4, 1916 Birth of a Nation banned in Ohio. The Birth of a Nation was the first film to screen inside the White House on February 18, 1915, and that screening, along with a screening the following day in Washington, DC, which featured many government officials in attendance (including all nine Justices on the Supreme Court) was used by Griffith in promotion and advertising as an implied "stamp of approval" from the U.S. government. Oregon newspaper declares the film history- making in itself and praises its depiction of “white-robed saviours of a race.” April 30, 1916. [xlviii] ‘Anzac Day – the Birth of a Nation.’ Freeman’s Journal, Sydney, 27 April 1916; Denis Shanahan ‘It was the birth of our nation, PM says.’ The Australian, 25 April 2012. Like Riefenstahl’s “The Triumph of the Will,” it is a great film that argues for evil.