The Death Of A Nation?

The Birth of a Nation is at once one of the greatest movies and most terrible movies ever made. D.W. Griffith's expansive and innovative storytelling is on full display and the magnificent power of cinema is is all too evident, but tragically the story this tells is one of a dreadful history, of an aspect of American life which is truly shameful. 

That shame is not present in Griffith's portrayal of the Klu Klux Klan, the Secret Empire which in this movie rises up out of a misguided sense of necessity to stem the savagery of the freed black slaves who show they are incapable of leading themselves in a civilized manner and threaten the creamy white skins of Southern womanhood. It's the most profound and dreadful bullshit! But this truly is a well-polished turd, and the artistry of The Birth of a Nation can be recognized, but never should its themes be celebrated.

The Birth of a Nation triggered a rebirth of the Klan, this time these cretins adopted the look of the movie and the wearing of the white robe became consistent throughout the country as chapters of this odious fraternity spread its wings over a seemingly ever-ready populace. The popularity of the Klan was such that they even marched in force in Washington D.C. in 1925. The Klu Klux Klan became damn near mainstream, but it was knocked out by the patriotic fervor of the World War II. The toads who had once sought to become Klan instead slithered around the new hate group in town -- the National Socialist Party better known as the Nazis. The Klan got another infusion of energy during the ascendency of Ronald Reagan to the Presidency. Now here we are again with a fourth version, all decked out in black and substituting an "X" for a Swastika. 

D.W. Griffith was a Kentuckian, and for that reason I was keen to include some of his work in a Film Studies class. But these are high school classes and not college and so much more care must be taken in selecting examples of cinema. When Spike Lee's BlacKKKlansman was in theaters, I sought to get permission from my principal to show The Birth of a Nation in class. I was eager to use the opportunity to drive home the misguided themes of the original movie within the context of the new film. Much to his credit my principal at the time listened to my arguments seriously but ultimately decided against it. I understand his decision. A news story that some white teacher was showing The Birth of a Nation to his mostly white students in a community famous for its conservative leanings could be publicity no one needed, least of all me. To attempt to explain the film being shown in some historical context with proper permissions from parents sought and signed, would've meant nothing to media intent on sensationalizing race relations in America at almost every turn. He likely saved me from myself.

But it's important in a way that Griffith made this document of the beliefs of the Klan one hundred years ago. This rosy anti-historical account is a byway into the mind of the racist nationalist who lives in constant fear of the outsider, the one who unlike himself seeks not just "tradition" and "heritage", but something new and different and vital. The real Klan is about preserving the false memory of a more civilized time when order was maintained through violence and the utter and complete dehumanization of men, women and children. It is the shame that will blight the American record for all time and sadly continues to spread its diseased tendrils down through the decades. 

And even more shameful that it has once again risen and taken hold of our federal leadership. Someone said recently that these new challenges to liberty threaten the soul of America, but in truth the country sold its soul long ago and has been trying in fits and starts and in a shambolic way to redeem itself. For the moment we seem to have taken a knee, but we will continue our journey. 

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