Knowra D. W. Griffith D. W. Griffith D. W. Griffith was an American film director and producer whose innovations in narrative filmmaking shaped cinema. His films, especially The Birth of a Nation , also advanced racist depictions and ideologies.
Cross-cutting : An editing technique that alternates between actions occurring in different places, often to build suspense or suggest simultaneity. Griffith used alternating action to heighten suspense in scenes such as the climax of The Birth of a Nation .
The Birth of a Nation : A 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith, depicting the Civil War and Reconstruction through a racist narrative. The film displays his formal innovations while glorifying the Ku Klux Klan and vilifying Black people.
Lillian Gish : An American actress whose screen career began in silent films and spanned more than seven decades. She became one of Griffith’s most prominent performers, starring in The Birth of a Nation and Broken Blossoms .
Hollywood studio system : The industrial organization of American filmmaking around studios that financed, produced, distributed, and often exhibited films. Griffith’s career unfolded as filmmaking moved from small companies toward larger production organizations.
Parallel editing : Editing that alternates between two or more storylines to establish a relationship between them. His films made parallel storylines a prominent way to structure dramatic action.
Intolerance : A 1916 film by D. W. Griffith that interweaves four stories set in different historical periods. Griffith presented it as a response to criticism of The Birth of a Nation .
Mary Pickford : A Canadian-American actress and producer who became one of the most influential stars of early Hollywood. She appeared in Griffith’s Biograph films before becoming a major independent star and producer.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People : An American civil rights organization founded in 1909 to secure political, educational, social, and economic equality. The NAACP organized protests against The Birth of a Nation and sought to restrict its exhibition.
Close-up : A shot framing a subject, often a face, in detail to emphasize expression or a significant object. Griffith used close-ups to direct attention to actors’ expressions within larger narratives.
Broken Blossoms : A 1919 D. W. Griffith film about a Chinese immigrant in London and an abused young woman. Its sentimentality and racialized portrayal show how Griffith’s melodramas handled race and suffering.
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