Intolerance

Synopsis

Through four interwoven stories set in ancient Babylon, the life of Christ, Renaissance France, and modern America, the film explores how cruelty and moral blindness repeat across history. The narratives move in rhythmic alternation, linking private suffering to public violence. A symbolic figure of a woman rocking a cradle connects the epochs, suggesting the persistence of human conflict and the fragile hope of compassion.

Critique

Intolerance stands as a daring experiment in cinematic form, expanding narrative scope through bold crosscutting and monumental staging. Directed by D W Griffith, the film uses spectacle not as ornament but as structure, forcing the viewer to compare eras and ideologies. Its moral thesis is emphatic and sometimes heavy handed, yet its technical ambition reshaped film language and confirmed cinema as a medium capable of historical and philosophical reflection.

Technical sheet

Director

D. W. Griffith

Year

1916

Country

United States

Running time

197 min

Genre

Drama, History

Written by

Anita Loos, D.W. Griffith, Frank E. Woods, Tod Browning

Cinematography

Billy Bitzer

Cast

Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Robert Harron, F.A. Turner, Sam De Grasse, Vera Lewis

Production

Triangle Film Corporation, Wark Producing Corp.

Music

Newly composed original score

Licensing