Directed by D. W. Griffith
1916/USA
Triangle Film Corporation/Wark Producing
Repeat viewing
#5 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
IMDb users say 7.9; I say 5.0
Prince Belshazzar: [to his princess beloved] The fragrant mystery of your body is greater than the mystery of life.
My definition of a movie I’m glad I don’t have to see again before I die: any 3+ hour D.W. Griffith silent epic. I already knew that bad things happen to good people, thank you very much. Why did you have to take so long to make your point, Mr. Griffith?
I will dispense with a plot summary. It is sufficient to note that there are four stories linked by an image of Lillian Gish as the eternal mother endlessly rocking a cradle. The stories take place in ancient Babylon; New-Testament Israel; 16th Century France; and modern-day New York. Most of them end very badly indeed for the protagonists. There is a last-minute rescue in one of the stories so we don’t all go out and commit suicide.
To be fair, this film obviously represented an important technical achievement for its time. There are also moments of some beauty. For me these are overshadowed by the general tedium and Griffith’s infantilization of women.
All Griffith’s women leads have been directed to prance around and pull “cute” faces – that is when they are not weeping. Even the Mountain Girl, who shows some bravery and initiative, behaves more like an eight-year-old tomboy than a woman warrior. I found Mae Marsh particularly annoying, though she can also be very touching as well. Griffith was lucky to find Lillian Gish, who always rises above her material.
I admit that I am influenced by my prejudice against epics and spectaculars in general. It seems to me that the more extras appear in a movie the less I like it, with some rare exceptions. Your mileage may vary.
Restoration Trailer
This film was not a success and to me, it is obvious why……..way too much going on for a film audience of 1916. Film was new, and the linking stories were too confusing for the viewers. The acting was terrible, fake beards abounded, but the sets were terrific and stood for years. Griffith reached beyond himself on this film and surely lost a bunch of money.
Mae Marsh is usually annoying……she is an acquired taste to say the least and was very difficult on the set.
If you haven’t, you might want to read Mr. Griffith and Me by Lillian Gish. It is somewhat revealing but also very biased…..but it is worth the read. It may be OOP.
I need to read Gish’s book. Mae Marsh anecdotes sound like fun.
“It seems to me that the more extras appear in a movie the less I like it, with some rare exceptions.”
High five, sister. I’m right there with you.
The sad thing about Intolerance is that I was initially excited to see it as it has such a “monumental” reputation, but it was quickly made clear to me that this would be a VERY tedious exercise indeed.
Really, the only D.W. Griffith film I can say I love is Broken Blossoms. The rest of them are unwieldy for one reason or another.
I have to admit that I also like Birth of a Nation. I realize it is horribly racist and totally misrepresents the KKK but I look at it from the time in which it was made when racism was rampant and the scars of the War Between the States were still present. You just have to concentrate on the innovations in that film and try to ignore the blatant parts……not an easy task but that film introduced some of the techniques that are still used today and did away with that stage-bound look that most films had at that time. Griffith may get too much credit since much of the filming ideas came from his cameraman, Billy Bitzer. President Woodrow Wilson said it was “history written with lightening”, a statement he later retracted when pressured by the NAACP.
I actually liked the way Griffith did the scene at the end if Intolerance where the Dear One et al are racing to catch the governor in the train. It was really suspenseful. I also take your point on Birth of a Nation. I just can’t love that film. The only Griffith I actually want to watch again is Broken Blossoms.
You are so right. The women in this film are somewhere between stupid and helpless and mostly both. But that is more or less the general case in Griffith films. Often they just annoy me. In any case that is not the worst thing about Intolerance, not at all.
True. I was wondering whether the women’s behavior was a fault of their acting ability but then I decided that the one thing they all had in common was Griffith.
Nice review Marie, I personally have to re-watch this before reviewing it for the Club.
I might be one of the few that admire Griffith’s work but I think he is essential to Film History.
I agree that Griffith is essential to film history. I just don’t happen to like most of his movies.