Watching THE BIRTH OF A NATION was quite an experience.  Never before have I been so impressed by what a film accomplished TECHNICALLY for the history of cinema whule simultaneously being shocked by how abhorrent the subject matter is.  This movie is so blatantly racist, I couldn't believe my eyes.  The KKK are basically portrayed as the saviours of the United States and giving the blacks any sort of freedom of power was the worst thing this country ever did.  Even though it was disgusting in this respect, it was oddly entertaining to see how bigoted DW Griffith would go with the whole thing.  It is truly a film relic that changed the way movies are made.  People learned to use the technical merits of the film and stay the HELL away from the political message.