Intolerance
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Movie Reviews of Intolerance
Movie Review: The most ambitious of all films.
Summary: 5 Stars
D W Griffith's silent film from 1916 about how intolerance has worked against love and charity throughout history, is an awe-inspiring classic. Considering the budget, the cast, and the ambitious attempt to alternate between four stories with different characters within different periods of history, it's no wonder it's labelled as a 'colossal spectacle'. It is this film, plus 'The Birth of a Nation', that shows the extent of what D W Griffith was capable of.
The film contains a modern story of meddling social reformers who claim to be working for the 'uplift of humanity', a French story of the St Bartholomew massacre, the persecution against Jesus Christ and a story of the downfall of ancient Babylon. While this may be a complex and demanding film, D W Griffith is able to masterfully swing in and out of each story while maintaining a sense of coherence and interest for the entire film. The acting is great, the sets are incredible and the musical score is dramatic and appropriate. The film never loses momentum, and its message has never dated.
The amount of footage that was shot for this amazing film amounted to a running time of about eight hours, but was heavily cut down to around three. There are however, a few different editions of the film, and some go for slightly longer. Lillian Gish, who features as the woman rocking the cradle, famously claimed that the film should have been kept at it's original running time. An impossibility for a feature film, but it certainly would have been interesting to see footage that is now lost forever.
It boggles the mind at how D W Griffith was able to create films like this in the early days of cinema. He was one of the most gifted filmmakers who has ever lived. He made some films good films, but this was one of his ultimate achievements.
Amazingly though, 'Intolerance' was mostly ignored on its release. And even more outrageously, was not even given a place in the entire list of the top 100 greatest American films. Realistically, you would have a solid case if you were to argue that Intolerance should be placed in the top 20, or even the top 10.
Not many view silent films these days, but 'Intolerance' deserves to be seen.
Movie Review: Truly one of the world's great films
Summary: 5 Stars
D.W. Griffith's "The Birth Of A Nation," filmed the year before "Intolerance," is a much better-known film, but this depiction of four stories, illustrating the intolerance of people for those unlike them throughout history, cuts a wider swath. In many ways it is one of the most remarkable films ever made.
I believe that the oft-repeated bromide that Griffith made "Intolerance" to "atone" for the perceived anti-black prejudice and glorification of the Ku Klux Klan in "The Birth Of A Nation" is simply wishful thinking on the part of many liberals. Griffith in fact saw nothing inaccurate or unfair about the earlier film, and made the 1916 blockbuster as an answer to what he perceived as the intolerance of his critics.
The acting in "Intolerance" is, of course, somewhat dated (affer all, the film is 91 years old), but the movie nevertheless packs an emotional wallop.
Most visually appealing is the Babylonian story, with sets that are jaw-droppingly huge and impressive representing the walls of the ancient city, and various statutes and other structures. The actors in those scenes literally look like ants in the master shots, totally dwarfed by the sets which rival the tall buildings existing today in many cities.
As a matter of fact, the Babylonian sequence alone would justify the colorization of this film. It would have to be done with great care, of course, to guarantee that copies of the original black and white work were preserved. But re-photographing every frame of the film to produce a brand-new negative has been done before on other movies. It would be quite a job, but it would be possible. The Babylonian scenes are awe-inspiring in black and white. In color, done properly, and with the new negative cleaned digitally to remove dirt and scratches showing from the old prints, it would be of almost unbelievable grandeur.
I hope someone undertakes this project. The world's viewing public deserves it.
Movie Review: Decadent, Dazzling
Summary: 5 Stars
First things first: I love this film. I love its unevenness. I love its drenched decadence and splendor. I love its inability to stay on a single track. I love that it avoids the bigotry of _The Birth of a Nation_. I love its weirdness.
I am bringing a postmodern sensibility to this 1916 film, but although this film frustrated viewers when it was originally released (film historian David Cook suggests that audiences found its four separate story lines too hectic to follow), it seems right in line with today's multi-tasking world. Is this a flawed film? In some respects yes. The film takes place in four different eras but is really only interested in exploring two of them (the present day and ancient Babylon). There are plenty of intertitles but they're not always helpful. Griffith's notion of _Intolerance_ doesn't seem very stable, and halfway through the film one realizes that Griffith himself perhaps didn't exactly know what he wanted to say. And then there's Griffith's stubbornness. Too many people wrongly read this film as Griffith's apology for the brilliant but bigoted _The Birth of a Nation_, but that is untrue. _Intolerance_ is Griffith's thick-headed, angry response to the critics who (rightly) attacked _Birth_ as bigoted. Despite these flaws, however, _Intolerance_ is a dazzling film. I am not at all surprised that _Intolerance_, more than _The Birth of a Nation_, inspired early Soviet cinema pioneers like Eisenstein.
My favorite moment: an extreme long-shot of the stairs of Babylon, which closes in to a full shot of funky dancers performing a choreographed version of "Walk like an Egyptian." Enjoy!
Movie Review: The History of the World recreated by a Genius!! Brilliance!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is indeed the most powerful film I have ever seen. No other film since has matched this one in its power and accuracy. Though some parts are indeed imaginery, the whole thing is accurate to the last detail. D.W Griffith was a master of recreating history and he shows the powerful portrayals of Babylon (the largest set in history and the most impressive indeed), the Cruxification of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Massacres, the Revolutions... and all tied together with the simple and divine image of the Virgin Mary (played beautifully by Lillian Gish) rocking the cradle of Our Lord. I swear, if anyone found fault with this movie, I'd be highly offended and shocked. This movie is just brilliant and has very few faults in it. Imagine a director in 1915 creating a film of such scope and power and moral, it is truly a feat! No film director ever has portrayed the same power and moral and beauty as D.W. Griffith. I just sat through the whole film (4 hours of it) and I didn't even eat or sleep or drink, it was totally mind consuming and I enjoyed it totally!! :-D If D.W. Griffith were alive today, sure he would be rioted against for his views on race, but I think he would be regarded as the one who recreated God's beautiful Earthly history. It is truly a powerful film with a wonderful message, that out of all times of horror and strife, there is but one person to turn to for divine intervention, Our God himself. Bravo D.W. Griffith! I know God is proud of the work you did!Movie Review: Kino's version is just the best.
Summary: 5 Stars
This version of Intolerance is to film lovers what old wine must be to the grape connoisseur, and worth every cent of the price.
If youve never seen Intolerance then please, please, watch the Kino version or none at all. This is the most complete version that history will ever allow us to see and how Griffith must have intended his 1916 audiences to view. The restoration itself is a work of art, the film speed has been adjusted to reproduce more natural human movement and the frames are all corrected so you won't see any scenes split in half with the bottom half at the top of your screen and top half at the bottom, the film runs 3 ½ hours.
Intolerance is NOT in black & white, it is in color, or rather tints, restored in dozens and dozens of shades that enhance the mood of each scene. The Dolby stereo score played with full orchestra matches the mood and dramatic action as well, they even dropped in some period instruments and sound effects that would have been heard in that period of history the story is taking place, (enjoy the full dimension of sounds made for this film by having your bass speakers turned on).