The Birth of a Nation

Based on the novel and play "The Clansman" by Thomas Dixon, Jr., director D.W. Griffith's sweeping, controversial drama is a silent cinema landmark that helped define the medium. The film chronicles the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, set against the backdrop of the American Civil War and the tumultuous relationship between the Northern Stoneman family and the Southern Camerons. Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Wallace Reid, Henry B. Walthall, Miriam Cooper star. 192 min. Standard; Soundtrack: music score. Silent with music score.