The Birth of a Nation

Trivia: The film was a favorite of President Woodrow Wilson, a Southerner who was alleged to be a racist, evident through his purging of blacks working in the federal government during the first presidential term.

Trivia: It was the first film to be viewed in the White House.

megamii

Trivia: It has been reported that the positive depiction of the Klu Klux Klan in the film was responsible for its rebirth in 1915. Unlike the Klan that existed during Reconstruction (which is mostly anti-black and anti-Northern), the "Second Klan" (which survives today) is white supremist, anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, and anti-homosexual.

megamii

Trivia: Because of the racist themes of the film, it was banned in many American cities, including Los Angeles. The film premiered in Hollywood before it was banned.

megamii

More for The Birth of a Nation

Mistakes

Continuity mistake: During the war, one of the "chums" gets shot. He starts to convulse and flail all over the place. However, in the next shot he is suddenly still, and starts to convulse once again. (00:42:10)

More mistakes in The Birth of a Nation

Quotes

Intertitle: If in this work we have conveyed to the mind the ravages of war to the end that war may be held in abhorrence, this effort will not have been in vain.

More quotes from The Birth of a Nation

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.