There is the problem with the scene where the African-American named "Gus" attacks and chases the youngest Cameron daughter, resulting in her jumping off a cliff. It portrays African-Americans as vicious animals and could not be included in a modern remake. However, it is the death of this white woman that causes the KKK to act in what they describe as "self-defense," but is really vengeance against the former slaves. Any remake would need to have a stimulus for the actions of the KKK, and since the KKK is a racially focused group, it would have to be some sort of racial incident, possibly an accident or inadvertent interaction between an African-American man and a white woman.

It would be extremely difficult to remake D.. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" in the modern world. The film was not intended as a historic film about the events after the Civil ar,…...

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Works Cited

Courtney, Susan. Hollywood Fantasies of Miscegenation: Spectacular Narratives of Gender and Race, 1903-1967. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2005. Print.

The Birth of a Nation. Dir. D.W. Griffith. 1915.

He used the still-shot (Dirks, 2013). Griffith incorporated "the technique of the camera "iris" effect (expanding or contracting circular masks to either reveal and open up a scene, or close down and conceal a part of an image)" (Dirks, 2013). In addition, while this was still in the era of black and white film making, Griffith was able to employ, "extensive use of color tinting for dramatic or psychological effect in sequences" (Dirks, 2013). He used camera panning to show movement and track movement in shots (Dirks, 2013). He also used close-ups to help highlight facial expressions (Dirks, 2013). Griffith also employed the use of vignettes in balloons or iris shots on part of a darkened street, the use of fade outs, the use of cameo profiles, the use of lap dissolves when transitioning between images, and high-angle and panoramic shots (Dirks, 2013).
Therefore, the actual way in which Griffith…...

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References

Dirks, T. (2013). Filmsite movie review: The Birth of a Nation. Retrieved February 22, 2013

from AMC Filmsite website:  http://www.filmsite.org/birt.html 

Erickson, H. (2013). The Birth of a Nation (1915). Retrieved February 22, 2013 from Rotten

Tomatoes website:  http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/birth_of_a_nation/

Gone ith the ind offers a somewhat conservative view of Georgia and the South. The South is depicted as something almost royal; slavery is never thought twice about -- it's simply the way things are. Many may contend that Gone ith the ind rivals Griffith's The Birth of a Nation in its depiction of the Reconstruction -- a period when southern whites were victimized by the now freed slaves, who were at one time themselves exploited by carpetbaggers (The New Georgia Encyclopedia 2010). Gone ith the ind must also be seen as more of a melodrama than a piece of historical fiction. The movie doesn't intend to be a historical film, but rather, it aims to tell the story of Scarlett O'Hara and what she will do for Tara -- land. Her father tells her that land is the most important thing one can have in life and because of…...

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Works Cited

Castel, A.E. Winning and Losing in the Civil War: Essays and Stories. University of South Carolina Press, 2010.

Loewen, J.W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook

Got Wrong. Touchstone, 2007.

McPherson, J.M. Drawn with the Sword: Reflections on the American Civil War. Oxford

Irish Renaissance was a literary event at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries in which there was a revival of interest in Irish culture, expressed in a literary explosion through writers like illiam Butler Yeats, J.M. Synge, Sean O'Casey, and James Joyce. This occurred at the same time as the development of a new nationalist sentiment in the country, contributing to increased tensions with the British, and often memorialized in the writings of Irish authors.
For example, illiam Butler Yeats is identified with the mythology of early Ireland, and his works feature the stories of the Irish hero Cuchulain in particular. This mythic background is part of what gives the poet his distinctive voice. At the same time, the poet often chafes against the mythology, as if the truths it shapes for him were false. Yeats made reference to other mythologies as well, notably those of…...

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Works Cited

Benet, William Rose. The Reader's Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia of World Literature and the Arts. New York T.Y. Crowell, 1948.

Cunliffe, J.W. English Literature in the Twentieth Century. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1933.

Quintelli-Neary, Marguerite. Folklore and the Fantastic in Twelve Modern Irish Novels. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1997.

Birth of a Repulic 1763-89: The Chicago History of American Civilization (Revised Edition) y Edmund S. Morgan. The University of Chicago Press, 1977, 202 pp. Edited y: Daniel J. Boorstin.
The delayed results of the Presidential elections of 2000 also known as the "Florida Fiasco" raised several questions. Two among them: What were the differences etween a democracy and repulic? Which of the two (democracy or repulic) was the United States of America? Cries of "the will of the people" eing denied were heard loud and often. Some pundits suggested that since Mr. Gore had won the popular vote, the constitution might e amended to accommodate the "democratic aspect" of the government. Fortunately (and not for political reasons) the sanctity of the constitution was preserved.

Edmund Morgan, Professor Emeritus at Yale University, had already answered all the aove questions in his eminently readale "The Birth of a Repulic." The ook traces…...

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bibliography of sources used; and, all of them treat each chapter of the book in great detail. True. But then, Edmund Morgan also does his readers a disservice. He teases. He leaves the reader dangling. He challenges the reader to seek out his sources. If he were thus successful, the reader would be disappointed on finding the sources lacking Morgan's narrative brilliance. His enormous abilities could serve to provide a little bit more information to the reader.

Two examples are salient. These are instances that most people have heard of, and no doubt would like to learn more about. The famous Boston Tea Party incident merits only a, "The people of Boston and the surrounding towns took up the challenge and on the night of December 6, 1773, unloaded the tea themselves -- into the harbor." (p. 58). To be fair, Morgan does provide a background to events leading to this incident. But a detailed discussion would have been better. Similarly, consider one of the more famous (and significant) battles in the War of Independence -- the battle of Bunker Hill. Once again, all Morgan can offer is, "In the Battle of Bunker Hill, as it was called, the British showed a courage that wiped out the stain of their hurried retreat from Concorde two months ago." (p. 69) A few books have been written about these incidents. One would expect a little more detail from Morgan about these events in the grander scheme of the revolution.

To its intended audience, "The Birth of a Republic" is perhaps one of the best books available. It presents, a nutshell two American struggles: A struggle for freedom; and, the struggle to create a nation borne out of principles that would stand the test of time.

The third theater of operations, besides the naval and Canadian one, was focused on the ritish push towards the capital city. Although successfully burning out Washington, the ritish were discouraged by the strong hold of Fort McHenry and the battle of New Orleans, in which they were defeated by Major General Andrew Jackson. As the Treaty of Ghent was signed in December 1814, news of this came to the American and ritish forces almost two months after the signing, putting also an official end to the war. As with altimore's fight, the defense of Fort McHenry, the author reminds the reader of another important information on the significance of this war. The battle of altimore later inspired Francis Scott Key to compose the poem "The Star-Spangled anner" which later became the national anthem of the United States.

As the author goes on with the war narrative, he introduces various descriptions of…...

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Bibliography

Borneman, Walter. 1812: The War That Forged a Nation. Harper Perennial, 2005

railroad industrialized America, a Track That Unified a Nation
How the railroad industrialized America

In the nineteenth century, the railroad system of the United States of America came to life. The systems' sole purpose was to transport people and goods across the country. Railroad system in the country began on the East and moved westwards. The move to the west resulted in development of towns, which further made the system branch to meet other regions in the state. These resulted in a web like rail system over the country. These had an impact on the life, culture and the way of life for the people of America. The railroad system in America in the nineteenth century interconnected various societies. The railroad systems at that time decreased work time since people were able to travel easier. People were able to travel great distances with the invention of the railroad system.

In the nineteenth…...

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Bibliography

William Thomas, 2011 . "Railroads and the Making of Modern America." Railroads.unl.edu.

John F. Stover, 1997. "American railroads.," Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press

Albro Martin., 1992. "Railroads triumphant: the growth, rejection, and rebirth of a vital American force." New York: Oxford University Press.

H. Roger Grant and Charles W. Bohi., 1978. "The Country Railroad Station in America."

n terms of the definition for prejudice being a preconceived idea, that was indeed the case. Men, in that day and age, were far more protective of their property, in this instance their brides, than U.S. citizens are today. That's exactly right; men considered their wives as property. Women more than willingly presumed the role. The occupants of the United States, as opposed to these has-been literary stars or playwrights, right along with any human alive advocating an activist pro-feminist stance, portray the odd-man-out or nonconformist in consideration to nearly every other nation in the world.

n regard to the females in Shakespeare's plays, however, in spite of the fact that Shakespeare sketched female characters into his plays (i.e., Lady Macbeth from Macbeth; Desdemona of Othello), male actors portrayed the female characters. Actresses were not in Shakespearean plays because they were protected by fathers or husbands. At this day and age,…...

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In regard to the females in Shakespeare's plays, however, in spite of the fact that Shakespeare sketched female characters into his plays (i.e., Lady Macbeth from Macbeth; Desdemona of Othello), male actors portrayed the female characters. Actresses were not in Shakespearean plays because they were protected by fathers or husbands. At this day and age, we do not comprehend this. In fact, we typically observe it as an unacceptable prejudice, discrimination, or bigotry. During that time, women were regarded as the pedestals as well as breeders. The first point concerns human biology; men are visual as well as guardians or protectors.

Even though there was an unmarried woman on the throne in Elizabethan England, the roles of women in society were very limited. The Elizabethans had very clear expectations of men and women, and in general men were expected to be the breadwinners and women to be housewives and mothers. On average, a woman gave birth to a child every two years, but as a lot of babies and children died from sickness, families were not always large. Childbearing was considered a great honor to women, as children were seen as blessings from God, and Tudor women took great pride in being mothers. The oddity we should observe is that in the age of Shakespeare, a female ran the show in England, Queen Elizabeth, yet still women were not put in the position of the active wage-earner (Thomas, 2009).

We all must keep in mind that this was during a time of abundant disease and illness, and no treatment was broadly available as it is today. These men were doing a service to their wives, mothers, sisters, aunts, or grandmothers by posing as the breadwinner and providing for the family. Again, disease was abundant. Moreover, women have always been far more susceptible. Men have much greater a muscular build; men are and have always been regarded as more emotionally detached or task-oriented to a degree so as to provide a greater pliability, liability, and

Nation of Islam was originally a group known as the Black Muslims (Nation pp). This splinter group is faithful to the Black Muslims' original principles led by Louis Farrakhan (Nation pp). Members strive to improve their social and religious position in society, and the group has won praise for its work in deprived areas (Nation pp). However, its reputation has been tarnished by Farrakhan's anti-Semitic and anti-white beliefs (Nation pp). The group demonstrated its political strength by organizing the 'Million Man March' in October 1995, a march that consisted of approximately 400,000 black men in ashington, D.C. (Nation pp).
Although allace Fard is officially credited with founding the Nation of Islam, much of the doctrine and beliefs of the NOI are rooted in the teachings of Noble Drew Ali and his Moorish Holy Temple of Science (Religious pp). The basis of Drew's teachings held that African-Americans were of Islamic heritage and…...

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Work Cited

"Nation of Islam." The Hutchinson Encyclopedia. 9/22/2003

"Religious Movements: Nation of Islam."

 http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Nofislam.html 

"The birth of the Nation of Islam." July 11, 2001.

Thus, German nationalism and the German nation-state came into being, an entity that existed well into the 19th century.
Similarly, the nation of Italy was highly influenced by the events of the French Revolution of 1789 and the outbreak of war between France and Austria in 1793. During this time, a number of important changes occurred within Italy, most of which like Germany were filled with violence and destruction, all in the name of nationalism and national sovereignty. Following Napoleon's military triumphs in late 1796, various northern Italian cities attempted to organize themselves into republics, cities like Bologna, Milan and Genoa, but with the Peace of Campo Formio with Austria in 1797, France gained control of all northern Italy with the exception of Venice which experienced the collapse of its independence and liberty.

Under the influence of Napoleon and his generals, much of Italy was re-structured into a form of republicanism,…...

The Birth of a Nation is a bit more explicit in its message but it rings to the same tune -- southern whites are victims of the civil war, not perpetrators.

Neither is an accurate portrayal of historical events but rather a symbolic representation of feelings and emotions held by whites in the pre-world war two United States. Historical evidence proves that neither Griffith nor O'Selznick were accurate in their depiction of the civil war but they do capture the fear and xenophobia riddled throughout each decade. While Griffith took inspiration from the Clansmen, O'Selznick, a Jewish New Yorker, along with his mostly Jewish writing team, likely were not trying to rewrite history but instead speaking to their audience, understanding what they were looking for.

The Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind speak to an audience who's way of life had been taken away by force. Though slavery is…...

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Rogin, Michael. "The Sword Became a Flashing Vision" D.W. Griffith's the Birth of a Nation." Representations 9.Special Issue (Winter 1985): 150-95. JSTOR. University of California Press. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. .

Change, Robert S. "Dreaming in Black and White: Racial-Sexual Policing in the Birth of a Nation, the Cheat, and Who Killed Vincent Chin?" Asian Law Journal 5.41 (1998): 41-60. Print.

Harris, Warren G. Clark Gable: A Biography, Harmony, (2002), page 211

"
The Aftermath

Uncle Tom characters were common in both white and black productions of the time, yet no director before Micheaux had so much as dared to shine a light on the psychology that ravages such characters. By essentially bowing to the two white men, Micheaux implied that Old Ned was less than a man; an individual whittled down to nothing more than yes-man and wholly deprived of self-worth. At this point in the history of black films, with some of the most flagrant sufferings of blacks exposed to the American public, the only logical path forward that African-Americans could take was to begin making cogent demands to improve their collective social situation.

Slowly, black characters in film took on greater and more significant roles in film. Sidney Poitier was one of the most powerful film stars of the mid twentieth century. In roles like the 1950 film by director Joseph L.…...

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Reference List

Finlayson, R. (2003). We Shall Overcome: The History of the American Civil Rights

Movement. Lerner Publications Company, Minneapolis, MN.

King, Jr., M. And Jackson, J. (1963). Why We Can't Wait. Signet Classic, New York,

NY.

Conclusions -- It becomes immediately clear that the art of the silent film depended on three major elements: smooth editing, appropriate use of subtitles, and actors who were able to use their eyes and movement to communicate or "play to the camera." It was surprising that only one of the films viewed seemed "primitive," and that was only the initial parts of Gertie. By the time we get to The ink, there has been an obvious improvement in camera techniques and the ability to film from different angles and heights, even if the camera is stable. In addition, the vaudevillian arm and comedy of The ink is classic. It is also interesting to note that the subject matter, while varied, seemed far less censored that what we would come to expect in later Hollywood years -- we see prostitution, abject poverty, criminal behavior, sexual innuendos with fairy creatures, and a…...

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REFERENCES and WORKS CONSULTED

Bowser, E. (1990). The Transformation of Cinema, 1907-1915. Scribners.

Clegg, B. (2007). The Man Who Stopped Time. Joseph Henry Press.

Wexman, V. And J. Wllis. (2006). A History of Film. Allyn and Bacon.

Film Links:

Nations and Nationalism Exist: Comparison of the ork of Laitin, Geertz, Hobsbawn, and Anderson
The objective of this study is to compare the work of Laitin, Geertz, Hobsbawn, and Anderson and to answer as to which argument is the most persuasive for why nations and nationalism exist.

Definition of 'Nation'

Anderson (1991) defines the concept of nation to be such that results in theorists of nationalism being perplexed by three specific paradoxes include: (1) the objective modernity of nations to the historians eye vs. their subjective antiquity in the eyes of nationalists; (2) the formal universality of nationality as a socio-cultural concept -- in the modern world everyone can, should, will 'have a nationality as he or she has a gender vs. The irremediable particularity of its concrete manifestations, such that, by definition, 'Greek' nationality is sui generis; (3) the political power of nationalism vs. their philosophical poverty and even incoherence. (p.…...

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Works Cited

Anderson, B. (1991) Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso.

Geertz, C. (n.d.) The Integrative Revolution: Primordial Sentiments and Civil Politics in the New States.

Hobsbawm (1980) Nations and Nationalism Since 1980. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Laitin, DD (n.d. Identity in Formation: The Russian -- Speaking Populations in the Near Abroad. Cornell University Press. Ithaca and London.

nations real? What makes them more or less real? Consider two concrete examples of the embodiment of national ideology.
Are nations real?

ecause of their establishment in the political firmament of contemporary society, nations seem or 'feel' so real that we forget most of the nations we take for granted are relatively young constructs. Italy and Germany were fractious, yoked-together provinces well into the 19th century. Even the United States only became united by a civil war, and today many Americans still proclaim the virtues of states' rights. During the end of both global conflicts in the 20th century, there was an international debate amongst the victorious map-drawing nations as to what constituted a 'nation' and what types of ethnic, religious, and cultural claims justified a right to sovereignty. "Nationalist claims are focused upon the non-voluntary community of common origin, language, tradition and culture, so that in the classical view an…...

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Bibliography

Israel. 2011. U.S. Department of State. [10 Dec 2011].

 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3581.htm 

Miscevic, Nenad. 2010. Nationalism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Accessed:   / [10 Dec 2011]http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nationalism