The Controversial Screening: Which President Watched “The Birth of a Nation” in the White House?
The flickering images of “The Birth of a Nation,” D.W. Griffith’s monumental, yet deeply problematic, silent film, cast a long shadow over American cinema and its reception. Released in 1915, this epic dramatization of the Civil War and Reconstruction era, particularly its fervent portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan as heroic saviors, ignited passionate debate … Read more