Intolerance

Die Wiege der Intoleranz, der Vergeblichkeit und der Zerstörung ist ein klassisches Griffith-Epos, das kunstvoll auf jeder Zeitebene zaubert. Aber wenn ich mir eine einzige Epoche aussuchen sollte, in der ich mehr als drei Stunden verbringen möchte, dann wäre es zweifellos die babylonische Epoche im Jahre 539 v. Chr. (20.03.2012)

Symbolism is definitely nothing new in film, after all, one of the pioneers of film, Georges Méliès, was the one who introduced this concept to film, but it was D.W. Griffith who perfected it. The conclusion of his brilliantly contradictory epic "The Birth of a Nation" was proof of that, and the film "Intolerance" continues in that vein, with the woman rocking the cradle being a beautiful example of such film metaphor. No matter what happens, life goes on. Even when people are vile to each other, they still have hope. The storytelling format is absolutely captivating, as it alternates between four different stories, which was also the reason why the film was too demanding for the audience of that time. The jumping between stories was confusing. Let's face it, audiences today still struggle with this style of storytelling. However, D.W. Griffith once again showed his genius and ability to play with the young medium of film. What is demonstrated with the camera, editing, narration, and even with the effects, are elements that are still valid today. By the way, even the intertitles impress with their sophistication, just like the exposed breasts, which later certainly were not commonplace. The faithfulness to capturing the era in historical stories is breathtaking. (18.01.2014)