The Essential Watchlist Similar Cinematic Experiences to The Birth ...

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A re-edited version of the 'modern' story from Intolerance (1916).

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Romance of Happy Valley perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

John Logan leaves his parents and sweetheart in bucolic Happy Valley to make his fortune in the city. Those he left behind become miserable and beleaguered in his absence, but after several years he returns, a wealthy man.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

An orphan girl is given shelter by a farm family, but soon finds herself in the clutches of a murderous farmer and his wife.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Greatest Question perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A naive country girl is tricked into a sham marriage by a wealthy womanizer, then must rebuild her life despite the taint of having borne a child out of wedlock.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

Prevented from dating his sweetheart by his uncle, a young man turns his thoughts to murder.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Way Down East perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Jeannette Peret, daughter of a cigar-store owner, leaves her Greenwich Village home for France in hopes of finding there the love which eludes her at home. She becomes enamored of le Bebe, a giant of a vegetable peddler, but his unsophisticated ways disillusion her. Edward Livingston, a wealthy young man from home who had spurned Jeannette, now turns up and realizes the error of his ways. But he, too, has a great flaw, and only the outbreak of war , ironically, is able to lead Jeannette to a peaceful conclusion to her quest.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Avenging Conscience: or 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A romantic bandit named Alvarez, wanted for raids on the mining camps of the California gold rush in 1849, is reformed by the love of a good woman.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

Frank Andrews is a successful businessman. He has always found pride and joy in the company of his wife, son and daughter. He suddenly finds himself enthralled by the advances of a gay young woman siren, who lives in the same apartment house as he does. So marked an influence does she have over him as time progresses that at last he quite forgets his home ties, neglects his family, and goes the way of many other men who have forgotten the meaning of paternity and blood ties. The story is advanced through many scenes enacted with the accompanying notes of New York's night life, and the denouement comes when the faithful wife discovers her husband's infidelity. At this time the mother's mind nearly loses balance, while Jane, the beautiful daughter, crazed by the grief of her mother, determines to take part in the tragedy. With revolver in hand she steals up to the apartment of the woman, but her frail nature is overcome by the temperamental anger of the woman and her mission fails. However, the errand is not fraught with failure for the father, coming in at this moment, finds his daughter being made love to by the sweetheart of the young woman, and realizes the road upon which he has traveled. When he confronts his daughter and says, "You, my daughter, what are you doing here?" The daughter answers, "My father, what are you doing here?" The realization is brought home to the father's mind that the law of moral ethics that governs a woman's life necessarily governs that of wan as well. Reformation comes in his character. He takes his daughter away with him and together they go back to their home of happiness and content.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A frail waif, abused by her brutal boxer father in London's seedy Limehouse District, is befriended by a sensitive Chinese immigrant with tragic consequences.