Key visual of D.W. Griffith

D.W. Griffith

Director
Biography
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance (1916). Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera and narrative techniques, and its immense popularity set the stage for the dominance of the feature-length film. It also proved extremely controversial at the time and ever since for its negative depiction of Black Americans and their supporters, and its positive portrayal of slavery and the Ku Klux Klan. Griffith responded to his critics with his next film, Intolerance, intended to show the dangers of prejudiced thought and behavior. The film was not the financial success that its predecessor had been, but was received warmly by critics. Several of his later films were also successful, but high production, promotional, and roadshow costs often made his ventures commercial failures. Even so, he is generally considered one of the most important figures of early cinema.

Personal Info

Occupation Director
Place of Birth LaGrange, Kentucky, USA
Birthday 1875-01-22

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Filmography by Year

1
1951
1
1931
1
1930
1
1929
2
1928
1
1926
2
1925
2
1924
1
1923
1
1922
2
1921
4
1920
8
1919
4
1918
1
1916
1
1915
7
1914
39
1913
53
1912
45
1911
84
1910
132
1909
46
1908

Filmography by Genre

Drama
179
Etc
130
Comedy
53
Romance
40
Western
27
History
18
War
15
Action
16
Crime
14
Adventure
6
Thriller
6
Horror
2
Family
1
Music
1
Fantasy
1
Mystery
1