Great Classics Tonight on Television!

[Phil C]

Two great movies are on TCM tonight and are epic classics indeed.
I know the Spurs are playing so you may want to have your recorders on if you are watching the Spurs or not at home. The classic Birth of a Nation is on and starts at 7 P.M. This is a long silent movie (about 210 minutes!) and was made in 1915 when long movies were very rare. It is a classic and must not be missed because we don't know when it will be shown again and this is a premier on TCM and should be a good one! It is about the Civil War and mainly about the reconstruction. This movie to 1915 is what Gone With the Wind was to 1939, Ben Hur to 1959 and Titanic to 1997. Remember it is a classic but it is not politically correct at times even though it does have a disclaimer that it is not met to apply to people in 1915. It puts Blacks in a bad light as well as people from the North portrayed as carpetbagers. Also the folks playing black character are obviously white with black makeup. If you are sensitive to these things you may not want to watch but the movie is an epic classic and is a very important part of our American cinema history and can be watched with that basis in mind.
Also at 11:15 P.M. tonight the silent 1927 classic Uncle Tom's Cabin is on and it is 135 minutes long. I don't know much about this but I am sure it is a good one.

Good watching on TCM indeed tonight.

[piratebg]

Spurs on........nuff said.

[Phil C]

What you need to do pirate is set your recorder and watch the Spurs tonight and then tomorrow you can watch the silent movies as recorded. :)

[Adidas410s]

wasn't Birth of a Nation a movie that was VERY controversial and "anti-American" for it's time?

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
wasn't Birth of a Nation a movie that was VERY controversial and "anti-American" for it's time?

I don't know about the time but I know it isn't politically correct but it was one of the cinema's first epic movie. Like I said the movie has a disclaimer saying it wasn't a reflection on people at the time of 1915. So if you are extra sensitive on issues you probably won't want to watch it. Remember the movie was made in 1915.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by Phil C
I don't know about the time but I know it isn't politically correct but it was one of the cinema's first epic movie. Like I said the movie has a disclaimer saying it wasn't a reflection on people at the time of 1915. So if you are extra sensitive on issues you probably won't want to watch it. Remember the movie was made in 1915.

I will have to dig through the notes from my Survey of American Film class that I took during college. It was one that I'm sure you would enjoy immensly Phil. I remember studying this film because of the length of it (it was originally like over 5 hours I think) and then because of it questioning World War 1...which was unheard of at the time. Any idea who directed it? I don't feel like going to IMDB right now.

[Phil C]

Ad, I know I would enjoy reading your notes and research on this subject. The director of this movie was D.W. Griffith. I am sure you are right about the original being 5 hours long but probably the one on TCM is the longest version available since sad to say many of the films and parts of films were lost due to the lack and interest of restoring and saving movies. Also I am sure that Tom Osborn tonight will have some interesting analysis about the movie too. One of the stars in the movie is a young Lilian Gish who plays Elsie.
As pointed out the movie is controversial now and at the time it was made and I am mainly letting those that watch it know in case they want to watch it on a historical basis. Yes it is racist and remember it was made in 1915 but also remember as I said it does have a disclaimer that it was not to reflect on any modern (1915) folks. If you are sensitive about these matters it would be best to not watch it. The only thing I don't know what the public reaction's going to be after tonight on TCM so this may be the last chance you have to see this movie. Hence, as I have mentioned, if you watch it do it more for the historical interest of cinema history than the propaganda or controversial aspects of this movie which is obviously biased and not too historically accurate.

[PhiI C]

Just about another half hour before the movie begins! Excitement indeed!