Cheap Intolerance (DVD) (D.W. Griffith) Price

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Customer Reviews of Intolerance

"Birth" was considered racist for its outlandish characterization of blacks and mulattos as evil, slaves as happy, and the KKK as noble attempts to fight carpetbaggers and free blacks from establishing a black kingdom in the south. None of these themes are dealt with in Intolerance. In fact, there is not a single black character here.

Instead, the film engages in other steroetypes. For instance, it is stated the Reformers are simply jealous women unable to land a man, and therefore want to stop others from enjoying themselves, the only good women are those that are loyal and subservent to their men, etc.

There are four story lines, described in other reviews. They are sluggish and boring to watch, until the end (after 3 hours) where there is constant cutting back and forth to juxtapose a chariot outracing an army that will destroy the innocent to get a message to its leader, and a race car trying to outrun a train to get a message to the governor to pardon an innocent man about to be hung.

All of Griffith's themes are oversimplified. Everything is black and white in terms of right and wrong. In his view, capital punishment is "murder for murder", and war is never justified. These themes follow from Birth of a nation, where the north is blamed for war, not southern secession or slavery.

It seems that the Intolerance Griffith describes are anyone whose ideas dare differ from his own.

Better than Griffith's other classic
Intolerance is a complicated picture. For the first hour I'll admit to being completely at a loss. Griffith throws four stories at the audience with dozens and dozens of characters and expects us to follow it. He doesn't slow down to explain. He's like a really bad teacher who expects you to do all the work alone. So I'm trying to understand whether Mae Marsh's admirer is a good or bad guy (It's always one of the other in a Griffith movie). Though he requests to be left into her room and sex of any kind is usually an act of the villian in Griffith's pictures, I came to the conclusion that he was on the good side. I'm questioning whether the old woman who laments her lost youth is a hero or villian. Villian! Or whether the "effeminate" character will have much of a role. He didn't. I don't know why he was even introduced. While trying to figure out all these characters I was incessantly rocked by Lillian Gish and her never stopping cradle. Which story was she part of? Surely Gish, usually the heroine, will have a bigger part in one of the stories. She didn't.

And yet somehow, through all this confusion, the movie comes together in the second act and works. It's climax is brilliantly sustained. The old cliche of saving the innocent man from being murdered is used here and surprisingly manages to find some suspense. The Babylonian scenes are saved by the enchanting mountain girl whose death is tragic in its symbolism. The other stories, in France and Judea, are quickly passed over. The Judaen conclusion ends with Christ's crucifixion in a very far shot. We can't see anything Mr. Griffith.

Confusion aside, once this film starts to work, it works brilliantly. Griffith was a master of sustained tension if nothing else. Watch out for the knives over the string that will release the noose on the hangman! I was surprised I got so involved in a silent, especially after watching Griffith's Birth of a Nation which really only succeeds now, as a historical document.

DVD comes with an option to watch the four stories individually. May be of use to the easily confused, such as myself.

The History of the World recreated by a Genius!! Brilliance!
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!