The Birth of a Nation

The Birth of a Nation, originally called The Clansman, is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr. 's 1905 novel and play The Clansman.

The Birth of a Nation is a landmark of film history, lauded for its technical virtuosity. It was the first American 12-reel film ever made and, at three hours, also the longest up to that point. Its plot, part fiction and part history, chronicles the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth and the relationship of two families in the Civil War and Reconstruction eras over the course of several years - the pro-Union (Northern) Stonemans and the pro-Confederacy (Southern) Camerons. It was originally shown in two parts separated by an intermission, and it was the first American-made film to have a musical score for an orchestra.

The film was controversial even before its release and has remained so ever since; it has been called "the most controversial film ever made in the United States" and "the most reprehensibly racist film in Hollywood history". In spite of its divisiveness, The Birth of a Nation was a huge commercial success across the nation - grossing more than any previous motion picture - and profoundly influenced both the film industry and American culture.

Detailed information:

Directed by: D. W. Griffith

Starring: Lillian Gish, Henry B. Walthall

Release date: Feb 8, 1915

Budget: $110,000

Box office: $50–100 Million