Intolerance

A 1916 epic anthology silent film directed by D. W. Griffith.

Subtitled as Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages and A Sun-Play of the Ages, the story intercuts four parallel storylines, each separated by several centuries: first, a contemporary melodrama of crime and redemption; second, a Biblical story: Christ’s mission and death; third, a French story: the events surrounding the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of 1572; and fourth, a Babylonian story: the fall of the Babylonian Empire to Persia in 539 BC. Each story had its own distinctive color tint in the original print. The scenes are linked by shots of a figure representing Eternal Motherhood, rocking a cradle.

AroView: Staggeringly ambitious film has a rightful place in many critics ‘all-time’ lists. Its mammoth story unfolds in four parts simultaneously - with a climax that will knock out those that go the distance.