"The Ulysses Of Film"
~Dave Kehr
"One of three most influential films and I think it is the best." ~Pauline Kael
Judging from these two quotes by highly respected film critics, there is no question that 'Intolerance' is one if the greats of cinema. You don't have to like it, but you will be impressed.
Fresh off his first blockbuster, 'The Birth Of a Nation,' Hollywood's creator-DW Griffith-wanted to make a movie more to people's liking and understanding in a bid to show that he his not a racist. 'Birth Of a Nation' May be over a hundred years old, but it remains a very shocking and unethical film. That is why I have a softer spot Griffith's next epic.
As far as I know, 'Intolerance' was the first film to use a bunch of different stories at once. This uses four from different time periods-a modern story about workers and unions; a story in Babylon; what led to St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre; and Jesus' crucifixion. Each of these deal with one underlying theme (the movie's title) that leads to the tragedy. Cut between them are transitions of a mother rocking her baby in a cradle.
Despite being made over one hundred years ago and countless technological upgrades since, 'Intolerance' is still a visually stunning film. For something being done in 1916, these HEAVILY elaborate sets (the Babylon having the best and most memorable sets) had to be made by hand. Mattes were too weak at the time and CGI didn't exist, so what you saw was real. The authenticity makes the sets extra appealing.
Obviously this is not a perfect film. The Jesus story should have ended better, which is one flaw. Another flaw, which some may find to be a strength, is that the two main stories (the modern and the Babylon stories) go by too fast. I totally hate slow films, but I never thought I would see something where the stories are too fast. I simply couldn't keep up. If this was a sound film, maybe using an extra sense would have made me digest the stories easier. But I plan on seeing this more. It deserves all the recognition it gets as cinema's first great film.
3.5/4
"One of three most influential films and I think it is the best." ~Pauline Kael
Judging from these two quotes by highly respected film critics, there is no question that 'Intolerance' is one if the greats of cinema. You don't have to like it, but you will be impressed.
Fresh off his first blockbuster, 'The Birth Of a Nation,' Hollywood's creator-DW Griffith-wanted to make a movie more to people's liking and understanding in a bid to show that he his not a racist. 'Birth Of a Nation' May be over a hundred years old, but it remains a very shocking and unethical film. That is why I have a softer spot Griffith's next epic.
As far as I know, 'Intolerance' was the first film to use a bunch of different stories at once. This uses four from different time periods-a modern story about workers and unions; a story in Babylon; what led to St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre; and Jesus' crucifixion. Each of these deal with one underlying theme (the movie's title) that leads to the tragedy. Cut between them are transitions of a mother rocking her baby in a cradle.
Despite being made over one hundred years ago and countless technological upgrades since, 'Intolerance' is still a visually stunning film. For something being done in 1916, these HEAVILY elaborate sets (the Babylon having the best and most memorable sets) had to be made by hand. Mattes were too weak at the time and CGI didn't exist, so what you saw was real. The authenticity makes the sets extra appealing.
Obviously this is not a perfect film. The Jesus story should have ended better, which is one flaw. Another flaw, which some may find to be a strength, is that the two main stories (the modern and the Babylon stories) go by too fast. I totally hate slow films, but I never thought I would see something where the stories are too fast. I simply couldn't keep up. If this was a sound film, maybe using an extra sense would have made me digest the stories easier. But I plan on seeing this more. It deserves all the recognition it gets as cinema's first great film.
3.5/4