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Trailer

The Birth of a Nation

1915Movie3 h 15 minNR

DramaHistory
72
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb6.0Rotten Tomatoes91%40%

A tense, violent drama movie about history and society.

Good for thought-provoking · adults · solo watch

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · graphic violence bothers you

Where to watch

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Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Story

The Fiery Cross of the Ku Klux Klan!

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.

Feels like

  • Controversial Historical Drama
  • American Civil War
  • Racism and Reconstruction
  • Early Cinema Spectacle
  • Propaganda
  • Racial Conflict
  • Epic Scale
  • Blackface
  • Political Commentary

Cast

24 of 40

Crew

Directed by
D.W. Griffith
Written by
D.W. Griffith, Frank E. Woods, Thomas F. Dixon Jr.
Produced by
D.W. Griffith
Music by
D.W. Griffith, Joseph Carl Breil, Jon Mirsalis

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

March 8, 1915 · 3 h 15 min · NR

Released
March 8, 1915
Runtime
3 h 15 min
Age rating
NR
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Drama, History, War
Original language
English
Also spoken
xx
Made in
United States
Budget
$100,000
Box office
$100 million
Available in
139 countries

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream The Birth of a Nation?"

Questions about The Birth of a Nation

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Is The Birth of a Nation worth watching?

72
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 72 (IMDb 6 and Rotten Tomatoes 91%). Critics rate it higher (91 out of 100) than audiences (50).

Is there a sequel to The Birth of a Nation?

  1. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
  2. The Fall of a Nation (1916)

Yes: it's movie 1 of 2 in its series, followed by The Fall of a Nation (1916).

Will I feel good after watching The Birth of a Nation?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for bleakness and 6 for melancholy, against 2 for hopefulness.