In many ways D.W. Griffith’s film The Birth of a Nation (1915) brought about the birth of numerous aspects of film that we are accustomed to today. Griffith used an Iris to transition between scenes, which means that there would be a circle that closed in to end one shot and then reopened to show the next shot. He also used a great deal of care when it came to lighting because he wanted to present a higher quality product than people were used to at that time. Another aspect that Griffith favored that was uncommon was the close-up which he often used to end films and scenes. Perhaps the aspect of Griffith’s film making that I noticed more than the others was his use of parallel editing and parallel story lines within the film to progress it further and further in a shorter period of time.
Though I have only seen clips of The Birth of a Nation (1915) it is clear to me that Griffith utilized all of his tricks in the film and he used them quite well. Though there was no dialog in the film, there was sound which aided in the flow of the film because there are battle scenes and scenes of people praying quietly in hiding. Griffith showcased all of his skills in this film and it is obvious that his work is well worth studying.
