Rise and Fall of Free Speech in America

In 1916, cinema's most controversial pioneer mounted his defense. D.W. Griffith, whose 'The Birth of a Nation' had ignited nationwide protests and bans, responded with this impassioned manifesto arguing that criticism of his film amounted to an attack on the very foundation of free speech. Writing in the heat of the controversy, Griffith frames himself as a martyr for artistic expression, casting those who condemned his film as agents of intolerance who would silence any voice they found disagreeable. The book articulates the filmmaker's belief that art, however objectionable to some, must be protected from the tyranny of majority opinion. This work is inseparable from the film it inspired: 'Intolerance,' Griffith's epic rebuttal released the same year, which directly addressed the themes of censorship and religious and racial persecution laid out here. As both justification and historical document, the book reveals the mechanics of how a filmmaker processed public outrage and transformed it into new artistic vision. It remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the fraught politics of early American cinema, the boundaries of artistic freedom, and the uncomfortable reality that foundational works of art can emerge from deeply troubling convictions.