D.W. Griffith's Intolerance: Its Genesis and Its Vision [Hardcover]

William M. Drew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1986 | ISBN-10: 0899501710 | ISBN-13: 978-0899501710

A critical study of the background of D.W. Griffith's film masterpiece, the 1916 epic Intolerance. The most expensive ($2,000,000) film made prior to 1920, Intolerance was criticaly acclaimed and is now considered a classic. The book traces the artistic and political influences that shaped the director's vision, discusses the influences of the Progressive movement, and connects the film to the social and political climate of the early 20th century.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Griffith's monolithic silent production is still the stuff of Hollywood legend. Released in 1916, the film was the costliest silent production to date, weighing in at a remarkable $2 million. Drew's 1986 volume traces the history of the film, from its inception and production to the release and aftermath, commenting on the numerous artistic and political influences on director Griffith. Essential reading for any film head.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"A paradigm for filmmakers throughout the world...a comprehensive analysis" -- -Journal of Film and Video

"A thorough and fully documented study" -- -Film Review Annual

"A whole background picture of early films in an entertaining form" -- -Classic Images

"Extraordinary...thorough" -- -Big Reel

"In-depth coverage" -- -Communication Booknotes

"Thoroughly documented and researched" -- -The Silents Majority On-Line Journal

"Tthoroughly documented" -- -Choice

"Well researched" -- -Film Quarterly --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 197 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (April 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899501710
• ISBN-13: 978-0899501710
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,619,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly review of a complex film, March 18, 2003

By 

Bruce Calvert "silent movie collector" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: D.W. Griffith's Intolerance: Its Genesis and Its Vision (Paperback)

While D.W. Griffith is famous (or infamous) for his breakthrough feature THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915), his critics are just as divided over his follow-up, INTOLERANCE (1916). This epic tells four distinct stories at one time. The stories are linked thematically, as they show how one powerful person's intolerance of others can have tragic results. This film was the most expensive film produced up to that point in time, yet its structure remains "experimental" to this day.

Mr. Drew's analysis of this film is easy to read, and he does not indulge in some of the intangible film theories that many books of this type trot out. He begins by sketching Griffith's life and his career at this point in time. Next, he breaks the film down into the different "stories". From that, he explores the sources that Griffith used as a reference for his story, costumes and sets. This section is very interesting because the author points out the historical points that were important to Griffith as well as the facts he ignored. Griffith was also influenced by contemporary and historical authors, poets, and films. Finally, Griffith and the film were influenced by the Progressive political reform movement of the time.

The last two chapters of the book deal with the impact of INTOLERANCE at the time of release, and what major film critics have said about it. Griffith claimed that the film was a financial disaster. While the film did not make a lot of money, Drew shows that the film did quite well until the outbreak of World War I caused a major shift in the public's attitues toward the film.

I would recommend this film to anybody who is interested in D.W. Griffith and silent films of the 1910s. Just make sure that you see the film before reading the book.