Birth Of A Nation By D.W. Griffith example essay topic

One of the effects of syn aesthetic cinema is to break the hold that the medium has over the viewer. By removing the experience from past conditioning or convention, a movies, as Birth of Nation and Searchers are both able to develop their own syntactical meaning where the semantics of any given image may vary or change in the context of different sequences. This alteration of meanings is brought about by extending the capacity of the paradigmatic axis. This dimension plays a significant role in that it refers to relations between present and absent units.

The greater the number of possible alternatives to choose from, the more subtle and pertinent may be the choice of unit to feed into the, thus affecting nuance and enriching connotation. In addition, the employment of multiple super-impositions as used by, for example, Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith, introduces a new element, which greatly complicates the paradigmatic axis. In conventional narrative cinema, this axis operates on a digital basis. The use of multiple interacting superimposition's, however, injects additional seconds, which occur simultaneously within the same frame.

This serves to transform the digital basis of computation to an analogical one. To meet this change of internal structure, the paradigm antic axis must be redefined to refer to relations not only between present and absent units, but also an unspecified number of simultaneous presents. Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith was a great masterpiece. It was one of the most technologically advanced films ever made for its period. The film paved the way for the great film industry: showing its audiences the longest film they had ever seen and the most eventful.

Birth of a Nation had such an impact on the American people that excluding Gone with the Wind it is thought to have the greatest influence on how Americans view that period. Griffith was able to make such an influentially film by using noteworthy themes, distinct and believable messages and anachronistic cinematic techniques. Birth of a Nation possesses a huge number of signs. This allows criticizing it from both structuralist and semiological approaches. It also contains many new cinematic innovations and refinements, technical effects and artistic advancements, including a color sequence at the end. It became a formative influence on future films and has had a recognized impact on film history and the development of film as art.

In addition, at almost three hours in length, it was the longest film to date. The themes in Birth of a Nation concentrate on race, class, gender, and region, which are all signs that carry information to the viewer. Griffith shows a black court and legislature; both are shown as an outrage. The black men are loud, disorderly and drunk. On the street the stupid and drunk blacks are shown voting in a disrespectful and uncaring way, and the reformed and educated white males are seen not being able to vote. Griffith exaggerates facts about confederate soldiers not being able to participate in the government and courts of the south after the civil war.

By doing this, it seems as the south is being taken over by savage blacks who are causing anarchy. The message that blacks cause anarchy and only want white women are played up even more throughout the film. The black soldiers are seen running through the streets terrorizing women and children and looting anything they can get their hands on. The image of blacks that was brought in the movie was not positive, however, the semiotic technique with which it was delivered to the viewer is amazing. In the end of the movie, Lynch locks Elsie in room with him and physically pursues her. The beautiful and helpless Elsie is then rescued by the heroes of the movie, the.

The sign and message conveyed is that the is only trying to protect defenseless women from savage black men, thus returning justice to the south. The film reinforced the as only wanting to save the south from anarchy without bloodshed. The only blood that will be shed is that of the savage renegades who torment helpless women. This message is played out numerous times. Griffith makes the an honorable and heroic organization.

To the American audience the is made very believable and appealing.