Tuesday 8 January 2008

INTOLERANCE, jan 8

INTOLERANCE
D.W.Griffith
177mins


Intolerance is a  silent film directed by D.W. Griffith. It is considered one of the
great masterpieces of the silent era. It was made in response to critics who
protested against Griffith's previous film, The birth of a nation for
its overt racist content, characterizing racism as people's "intolerance" of
other people's views.

Intolerance was a colossal undertaking filled with monumental sets, lavish
period costumes, and more than 3,000 extras. The film consisted of four
distinct but parallel stories that demonstrated mankind's intolerance
during four different ages in world history. The timeline covered
approximately 2,500 years, beginning with:

The Babylonian period depicts the fall of Babylon as a result of
intolerance arising from a conflict between devotees of different
Babylonian gods.

The Judean era recounts how intolerance led to the crucifixtion of Jesus.

The French Renaissance tells of the failure of the edict of toleration
that led to the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

Modern America demonstrates how crime, and conflicts between ruthless
capitalists and striking workers helped ruin the lives of Americans.

Each era was shot in a different colour tint.

Actual costs to produce Intolerance are unknown, but best estimates are
close to $2 million (around $33 million in today's dollars), an
astronomical sum in 1916. The movie was by far the most expensive made at
that point.

Poster by Shreyas R Krishnan

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