Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages
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