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D.W. Griffith: The Life and Legacy of the Hollywood Director Who Made The Birth of a Nation
*Includes pictures
*Includes contemporary reviews of Griffith's movies
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
“Remember how small the world was before I came along? I brought it all to I moved the whole world onto a 20-foot screen.” – D.W. Griffith
He was a pioneering film director who had 518 films to his credit. His work spanned the silent and sound eras. Most of his films were completed in a span of 15 years. But today he is known only for one of his films, one considered by historians to be a landmark in cinema as well as the most controversial ever made. He could not escape the controversy of this one film before he died in relative obscurity, his contributions to the motion picture industry forever marred.
The story of D.W. Griffith is one of triumph and tragedy, of a man who almost singlehandedly created the American motion picture industry, but whose prejudices and ego have permanently colored how he is perceived. In 1958, James Agee wrote of Griffith and his time, “This was the only time in movie history that a man of great ability worked freely, in an unspoiled medium, for an unspoiled audience, on a majestic theme which involved all that was, and brought to it, besides his abilities as an inventor and artist, absolute passion, pity, courage, and honesty. He achieved what no other known man has ever achieved. To watch his work is like being witness to the beginning of melody, or the first conscious use of the lever or the wheel, the emergence coordination, and first eloquence of language, the birth of an art, and to realize that this is all the work of one man.”
It would be an overstatement to say that D.W. Griffith created Hollywood; but Hollywood would have been quite different without his complicated genius. As historian Richard Griffith put it, “the origins of older arts are lost in prehistory, their creators unknown or barely guessed at,” but for the movies, “we have an almost complete record of the ‘birth of an art.’ The creator of film art was David Wark Griffith.”
D.W. The Life and Legacy of the Hollywood Director Who Made The Birth of a Nation profiles Griffith’s upbringing and his career, profiling the notorious movie that he continues to be remembered by. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Griffith like never before.
*Includes contemporary reviews of Griffith's movies
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
“Remember how small the world was before I came along? I brought it all to I moved the whole world onto a 20-foot screen.” – D.W. Griffith
He was a pioneering film director who had 518 films to his credit. His work spanned the silent and sound eras. Most of his films were completed in a span of 15 years. But today he is known only for one of his films, one considered by historians to be a landmark in cinema as well as the most controversial ever made. He could not escape the controversy of this one film before he died in relative obscurity, his contributions to the motion picture industry forever marred.
The story of D.W. Griffith is one of triumph and tragedy, of a man who almost singlehandedly created the American motion picture industry, but whose prejudices and ego have permanently colored how he is perceived. In 1958, James Agee wrote of Griffith and his time, “This was the only time in movie history that a man of great ability worked freely, in an unspoiled medium, for an unspoiled audience, on a majestic theme which involved all that was, and brought to it, besides his abilities as an inventor and artist, absolute passion, pity, courage, and honesty. He achieved what no other known man has ever achieved. To watch his work is like being witness to the beginning of melody, or the first conscious use of the lever or the wheel, the emergence coordination, and first eloquence of language, the birth of an art, and to realize that this is all the work of one man.”
It would be an overstatement to say that D.W. Griffith created Hollywood; but Hollywood would have been quite different without his complicated genius. As historian Richard Griffith put it, “the origins of older arts are lost in prehistory, their creators unknown or barely guessed at,” but for the movies, “we have an almost complete record of the ‘birth of an art.’ The creator of film art was David Wark Griffith.”
D.W. The Life and Legacy of the Hollywood Director Who Made The Birth of a Nation profiles Griffith’s upbringing and his career, profiling the notorious movie that he continues to be remembered by. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Griffith like never before.
81 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2020
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11 people want to read
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Charles River Editors
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 28, 2021
D W Griffith is a legend of the film industry. Besides the quality of Griffith's work, he completed 518 films in about 15 years. His career spanned the silent and sound eras. However, he never believed that 'the talkies' would ever catch on.
However, Griffith is now known, not for his broad cinematic and directional abilities, but for the controversy over BIRTH OF A NATION. Although it was a crowning achievement, the film's subject was deemed racist and that has forever darkened Griffith's star. The film portrayed African Americans in a negative light and glorified the Ku Klux Klan.
There was some interesting analysis of BIRTH OF A NATION and Griffith's follow-up film, INTOLERANCE. I thought the book dropped the ball is when it suddenly shut down the story with Griffith's sudden death (what happened to his family?). It is interesting that he was almost unknown by the time of his death.
However, Griffith is now known, not for his broad cinematic and directional abilities, but for the controversy over BIRTH OF A NATION. Although it was a crowning achievement, the film's subject was deemed racist and that has forever darkened Griffith's star. The film portrayed African Americans in a negative light and glorified the Ku Klux Klan.
There was some interesting analysis of BIRTH OF A NATION and Griffith's follow-up film, INTOLERANCE. I thought the book dropped the ball is when it suddenly shut down the story with Griffith's sudden death (what happened to his family?). It is interesting that he was almost unknown by the time of his death.
February 1, 2026
D.W. Griffith: The Life and Legacy of the Hollywood Director Who Made The Birth of a Nation by Charles River Editors is a concise, accessible introduction to one of cinema’s most influential and controversial figures, D. W. Griffith. The book efficiently outlines Griffith’s technical innovations—editing, narrative scale, and visual storytelling—that helped shape early film language, while also confronting the enduring damage caused by The Birth of a Nation, whose racist ideology has come to define his legacy as much as his artistry. Typical of the publisher’s brief biographies, the analysis is clear and balanced but necessarily surface-level, offering context rather than deep critical debate or archival depth. It succeeds in presenting Griffith as a figure whose cinematic breakthroughs are inseparable from the moral failures that continue to shadow his place in film history.
August 9, 2022
I had watched a documentary about the movie Birth Of A Nation and it left me curious to find out more about D.W. Griffith. I saw this book on sale during Amazon Prime Day. I should have researched a little closer before buying. I did learn some things about Griffith but the book was very short and more like an essay. I was expecting a full biography on Griffith. So I was somewhat disappointed. I may by a full biography at a later time.
January 31, 2020
Short, but informative
This is a good summary of the life of D.W.Griffith. Of course it focuses on his films and includes interesting film reviews at the time of their release. How he got from actor to director is an interesting story. Some of the reviews are lengthy which is why I gave it only four stars.
This is a good summary of the life of D.W.Griffith. Of course it focuses on his films and includes interesting film reviews at the time of their release. How he got from actor to director is an interesting story. Some of the reviews are lengthy which is why I gave it only four stars.
March 21, 2020
DW Griffith Brings In tthe Film Age
Nice read about the up from past glory southern Griffith and his contributions
to the nascent film industry, including it's first blockbuster and the resultant
contreversy.
Nice read about the up from past glory southern Griffith and his contributions
to the nascent film industry, including it's first blockbuster and the resultant
contreversy.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews