Four stories are told: the fall of Babylon; Jesus Christs' crucifixion; a French revolution story and a modern day tale. They are all connected by the theme of intolerance and how it can destroy people and civilizations.
D.W. Griffith's film was a huge bomb when it was released in 1916--it's easy to see why.
Do we really need four stories about intolerance and does it need to drag out for THREE HOURS???? It could have been done in half the time with only two of the stories. My guess is that Griffith wanted to do some historical dramas and decided to cram them all into one movie. His making of the Babylon set has become a Hollywood legend.
The film is well-done, extremely well-acted and the battle scenes are still strong stuff--bloody and violent. But the film is too long and gets boring more than once. Still worth seeing for the cast, incredible sets and ground-breaking direction by Griffith--but you'll probably be satisfied after an hour or two.
D.W. Griffith's film was a huge bomb when it was released in 1916--it's easy to see why.
Do we really need four stories about intolerance and does it need to drag out for THREE HOURS???? It could have been done in half the time with only two of the stories. My guess is that Griffith wanted to do some historical dramas and decided to cram them all into one movie. His making of the Babylon set has become a Hollywood legend.
The film is well-done, extremely well-acted and the battle scenes are still strong stuff--bloody and violent. But the film is too long and gets boring more than once. Still worth seeing for the cast, incredible sets and ground-breaking direction by Griffith--but you'll probably be satisfied after an hour or two.