The Auteur's Selection Complementing the Tone of The Greatest Thing in Life: Cult Guide

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.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

The Stoneman family finds its friendship with the Camerons affected by the Civil War, both fighting in opposite armies. The development of the war in their lives plays through to Lincoln's assassination and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Birth of a Nation perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

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 dramatic comparison between the mating habits of animals and the way humans choose their own partners.

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.

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 fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: D.W. Griffith

A religious woman seeks to save her people from destruction by seducing and murdering the enemy leader, but her plans get complicated once she falls for him.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

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.

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

Dir: D.W. Griffith

Story of two brothers who go off to France to fight in World War I, the women who love them and an American expatriate living in France who rallies behind his former country.

Dir: D.W. Griffith

John Howard Payne at his most miserable point in life, writes a song which becomes popular and inspires other people at some point in their lives.