Liberty or death! A look at America (dir. DW Griffith, 1924)

Image source: IMDB One of the running themes of my writing has been re-examining long-held assumptions about movie history. I have a bleeding heart for panned films and a skepticism towards broad claims. If you’ve dipped your toes into silent cinema, you’ll likely be familiar with “common knowledge” about controversial pioneer DW Griffith. “Griffith invented close-ups/tracking shots/[insert favorite cinematic convention here]!” “The Birth of a Nation was the first feature film! The first epic film! The first megahit!” All of these ideas have been challenged by historians and silent film enthusiasts alike. The more one familiarizes oneself with early cinema outside of Griffith, the easier they become to discredit. Arguments for Griffith’s downfall in the 1920s are just as broad. (To be clear, I mark late Griffith as anything that came out after Orphans of the Storm, released in 1921. It seems a clear point to use since it was his last popular hit.) Hollywood came into its own in the…