![]() ![]() ![]() The sounds of blackness scored something of a big-screen payback this past weekend. A key component of the three-hour score, composed by Joseph Carl Breil, included the adaptation of antisemitic German composer Richard Wagner's triumphant "Ride Of The Valkyries" as a recurring musical phrase used during the ride of the Ku Klux Klan. During select screenings, Griffith requested the accompaniment of a live orchestra to perform the score in theaters, one of many filmmaking innovations that became standard in the wake of the film's box-office success. When it opened, to widespread popularity and protest, 103 years ago this February, soundtrack albums were still a thing of the future. Although it sparked a wave of national protests led by the NAACP at the time, the film's monstrous portrayal of black America persisted, shaping the specter of race relations for the remainder of the 20th century. Griffith's Birth Of A Nation today for the lasting impact of its racist propaganda. Kendrick Lamar performs at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in January. ![]()
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