The Lost Tape of Controversy

A horribly disturbing time period in our history is probably the owner of one of the most disgraceful and humiliating movies of our time. It’s an unfortunate, but relevant and vital part of American History being a huge part in the cinematic revolution. The movie in question is The Birth of a Nation. The Birth of a Nation is a white supremacy propaganda movie. It was the first big blockbuster; drawing in attention from everyone, but also bringing out the disgust and hatred of the north and the NAACP, which had been a new creation during this time. It paints the south as a victim and the Ku Klux Klan as heroes “avenging” the Civil War’s Reconstruction-Era. It portrays African Americans as degenerates who will be a danger to the White Race. The movie was an absolute success, despite the riots, changes to the movie, and censorship in many cities. Birth of a Nation was still popular. Being the first ever shown in the White House and bringing a significant rise to the KKK population and the groups that would follow using blatant lies and racism to promote the agenda of white superiority. It’s a horror to watch for the black community (which includes myself) and a part of history that has long perpetuated White Americans with a reason to be “proud” of their southern heritage and being able to use race to give credence to the mistreatment of Black Americans.

But my obscure fact isn’t about the original movie, it’s about the sequel that followed. Yes, unknown to many, including myself, there is a sequel to this atrocity. It’s called The Fall of a Nation. The movie was not a success like the first one. It was a complete box office flop. Showing no prominence to its predecessor.

The Fall of a Nation was a creation of the writer of the original book, The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan, that inspired The Birth of a Nation. The success of his first book being adapted into a box office blockbuster convinced the author to take advantage of his situation and profit off his first creation by using another of his creations. The plot of the movie differed from the original, but still carried the same air as the first, even if its synopsis reads differently. In the sequel, it is an attack by a European Confederated Army on an unprepared America. No one was off limits for elimination by the Europeans. America gets saved by a pro-War congressional representative who develops an army to defeat the invaders with the help of a woman's rights activist. It was basically a pro-war propaganda film. The movie was a grand financial plan and became a commercial failure. Putting Dixon and his Dixon Studios into complete bankruptcy.

Birth of a Nation producer, D. W. Griffith, is credited with creating the first sequel before his release of Birth of a Nation. Because of Biograph films, films could not be longer than one reel. That would only give the production about 10-12 minutes. The films were, in order, His Trust, His Trusted Fulfilled, Enoch Arden, Part 1 and Enoch Arden part 2. They were not sequels. Griffith crafted the films as two separate films cut in half and released in two parts. Though his success at the box office convinced the film industry that films could be longer and be box office hits.

They have lost the Fall of a Nation to time since its failure in 1916. Ever since its premiere, there has been no evidence of the film's existence besides the posters and its film credit. But for now, it remains a lost film. And I’m one that hopes it remains missing. It’s presence for hate in both its predecessor and sequel, has done enough to bring a divide to a nation already divided. Nothing like that should ever exist. But unfortunately, our history does not give us that and shouldn’t. Situations and movies like this should exist to show our past and help our future. Even if the content is one of pure horror and disgust. And as a young Black American woman, the first movie is still a stark reality to this day.