D.W. Griffith made Intolerance (1916) partly in response to criticism about the racist undertones in his previous film, The Birth of a Nation (1915). By far the most expensive film of it's time (estimated in the low-millions), Intolerance employed the use of lavish sets, costly equipment, artists and thousands of actors and extras. Despite the high esteem in which the film is held now, it was a disastrous failure at the box office upon it's 1916 release. The production costs and loss of ticket revenue were so great that Intolerance almost singlehandedly led to the bankruptcy of the Triangle Film Corporation in 1918. Intolerance has had a lasting influence, however, and it proved integral at the time as well... with great early directors Erich von Stroheim and Tod Browning gaining experience as assistant directors on the film. Griffith's favorite actress, Lillian Gish, returned to work with him once more and Douglas Fairbanks even appears as an uncredited extra.
The complex plot consists of four interwoven story lines, all depicting man's intolerance throughout different periods of human history. These include:
Ancient Babylon (539 B.C.)...
Intolerance. 1916
 |
| Intolerance. 1916 |
 |
| Intolerance. 1916 |
Biblical Judea (27 A.D.)...
 |
| Intolerance. 1916 |
The French Renaissance (1572)...
 |
| Intolerance. 1916 |
and a modern American story (1914)...
 |
| Intolerance. 1916 |
and Lillian Gish, as the "Eternal Mother", presides over all... omnipresent and ever-rocking the cradle...
 |
| Intolerance. 1916 |
"Intolerance" (1916)- full feature film
