Summary:
Biography of Filmmaker D. W. Griffith.
David W. Griffith was a legendary filmmaker in that he pioneered the film industry itself. Griffith had captured the minds of audiences to bring film out of its infancy and into the fascinating art form that it is today. He wasn't content on being in front of the camera, so his main focus was the director. His directing career presented an incredible body of work between 1908 and 1913 alone. His portfolio consisted of hundreds of short films. Many of the early 1900's big stars gained experience through working with Griffith. Mary Pickford, for instance made over a hundred short films with the master himself. The influence of Griffith upon film was so pervasive at that time that his name alone is what made people go and see the movie.
Griffith was a legendary father of film, in which his performers were his children. And, of course, as children you learn to respect your father, which many of the actors did. They felt that they were fortunate to even live in the same era as him. As his work skyrocketed, so did the ideas that he came up with. Griffith is well known for making serious dramatic movies that dealt with the topics that people lived through. That also attracted many people to watch his work.
For instance, one movie he created was called Birth Of A Nation. The movie dealt with a lot of Southern history in which he falsely portrayed because of his own opinions. Because of this he was forced to recognize that his point of view on Southern history had serious flaws. It became famous because many people were interested in someone's opinion on something rather than the straight facts of what really happened.
Griffith became one of three great directors that had joined forces to become known as Triangle Studios. Along side with Thomas Ince and Mack Sennett, the three took productions and made them flourish. Triangle paid top dollar for the finest performers. Although the venture lasted for fours years, Griffith, Ince and Sennett, along with their two largest money making stars, William Hart and Douglas Fairbanks, departed Triangle after two years.
Griffith, although looked upon as the best in the business, had deteriorated in the fact that he was lauded in the beginning, but then forgotten in the end. In all Griffith had directed hundreds of short films, as well as around 15 full-length films. Griffith still had a vision, however, before he died. His vision was the examination of disease of alcoholism. He talked about how alcoholism will corrupt the people. The rest of Hollywood was blind to it though. His decline developed because people no longer wanted or rather had the time to do leisure activities like watching movies.
This is the complete article, containing 458 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
