Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)
Genre: Drama / History
Duration: 197 minuten / 176 minuten ('Killiam Shows'-versie)
Alternative title: Intolerance
Country:
United States
Directed by: D.W. Griffith
Stars: Mae Marsh, Robert Harron and F.A. Turner
IMDb score:
7,6 (17.876)
Releasedate: 4 September 1916
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages plot
"The Cruel Hand of Intolerance"
Using four historical examples, the film-maker shows that humans are by nature intolerant. From ancient Babylon to Judea (where Jesus Christ is condemned); from sixteenth-century Paris to 'modern' America.
Actors and actresses
The Woman Who Rocks the Cradle
The Dear One (Modern Story)
The Boy (Modern Story)
The Girl's Father (Modern Story)
Arthur Jenkins (Modern Story)
Mary T. Jenkins (Modern Story)
Mary, the Mother (Judean Story)
Mary Magdalene (Judean Story)
First Pharisee (Judean Story)
The Bride of Cana (Judean Story)
Reviews & comments
Mug
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- 13981 messages
- 5969 votes
This year's Venice Film Festival had its premiere to screen the digitally polished epic from both celebrated and denounced director David Wark (hihihi) Griffith. And then in the version that Griffith would have liked to see, a kind of director's cut, the 1917 version that has been found in his archives. Last evening this 3-hour version was broadcast in full on (long live) Arte.
What a masterpiece. After 'The Birth of a Nation', which cost Griffith dear because of the predicate 'racist', he hit back with this film, Intolerance. An indictment of intolerance and a plea for peace. Attention, time of action: First World War!
Four stories are intertwined. The betrayal of Babylon, the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Bartholomew's Night and contemporary America, where benevolence and illegal practices are the main problems for the prevailing poverty. It must be said that the segments of Babylon and contemporary America receive by far the most attention, the other 2 segments are more supportive and comparative. The Jesus Christ segment could have been used more often in my opinion, then the message might have been stronger.
The film is a grand one, certainly an inspiration for Cecil B. DeMille's epic films, and the finale is remarkable. Feel free to join the list of humane (personal) endings together with Chaplin's 'The Great Dictator', Kubrick's 'Paths of Glory' and Milestones 'All Quiet on the Western Front' (and many more).
Hopefully this restoration will get a DVD release. Also striking are the color filters, blood red during the mass battles, for example.
Then a personal cinematic moment of orgasm: Jesus Christ turns the water into wine during the poor wedding. Griffith places a shadow in the shape of a cross over the entire body of Christ as he extends his hand. Beautiful!
Result: 4.5*.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Vinokourov
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- 3143 messages
- 2909 votes
DW Griffith, one of the early pioneers of the film world, is best known for The Birth of a Nation: a grotesque epic set during the American Civil War that goes hopelessly off track due to the racism on display. The film caused much controversy and a resurgence of the KKK at the time.
This probably shocked Griffith so much that he decided to "make amends" with another great epic: Intolerance: Love's Struggle through the Ages. Three hours are filled with four stories about the fight against intolerance through the ages. The four different stories are about the fall of Babylon, the crucifixion of Jesus, the whole Huguenot thing in France and a modern social story in America.
So a very ambitious project and the film was not entirely successful in my opinion. The positives first: the decors look fantastic. The Babylon section is certainly stunning and a joy to watch. What a lot of work must have gone into it! There may also be directing. Griffith lets large crowds of people and animals do their thing, but does not lose sight of the small details. Something you see in Eisenstein's films.
The big downside then: the length will put many off and that is actually right. The movie is also on top of that. The Babylon section and the modern story take up about two-thirds of the film. The French story and the crucifixion of Jesus could therefore have been omitted. Film historically perhaps very important, in terms of entertainment it is somewhat disappointing.
Translated from Dutch · View original
eRCee
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- 13449 messages
- 1981 votes
Failed. But interesting of course, especially because of the colossal decors and impressive mise-en-scene. Griffith shows himself to be the Peter Jackson of his time in the Babylon parts. Nevertheless, the viewing experience is very difficult. Especially the idea of telling four stories around the central theme turns out to be disastrous: firstly, the film lasts much, much too long, and secondly, the moral is extremely simplistic (which sometimes even has something, for example if you play a character ' The dear one'). The cinematography is dominated by static shots, but all the more fun when filming from a train and from a car (with remarkable stability) at the end. The rare close-ups, once even with a kind of zoom-in effect, are also good for me. As a historical document this Intolerance is therefore interesting, but as a film it largely fails in my (contemporary) eyes.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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