David Wark Griffith And The Film Industry

David Wark Griffith revolutionized both the film industry and filmmaking itself and is undoubtedly the “single most important individual in the development of film as an art” (Drew). He built the film industry up from the ground, “reshaped the very language of film”(Drew), and shook the country with his film The Birth of a Nation which fueled the rise of one of the largest and most influential domestic terrorist organizations ever (Niderost). D.W. Griffith and his films have transformed the way films are made and have greatly impacted the film industry not only in the United States but throughout the world.

The early days of filmmaking were drastically different than today. Films were just skeletons of what they could be. Companies like Edison produced large numbers of bare bones short films purely for money. These short films showed little character and plot development and often followed the same generic structure (Everson 32). Any suspense in the movie was often given away by the title, which said what was going to happen before it happened (Everson 33). When Griffith stumbled upon the industry, it was barely advancing at all- much like himself.

After a failed career as a stage actor and writer, David Wark Griffith turned to the cinema in hopes of becoming more successful (Everson 42). The first film Lawrence Griffith (as he now called himself) acted in was the 1907 film Rescued From an Eagle’s Nest, a story about a couple whose baby is taken by an eagle. The film was made by Edison and, like most films at the time, was very simple in terms of camerawork and plot (Blum 9). Griffith continued his acting career by working for Biograph for about a year. Then, in June of 1908, Biograph director Wallace McCutcheon ...

... middle of paper ...

...f the sound film, Griffith could not keep up. He relied solely on his reputation and fame to earn him an audience, but that no longer worked (Everson 177). Audiences wanted to see different things than what he was producing, and he simply could not change. With the exception of one or two films, and a few more that he helped with, Griffith was no longer a crucial part of the film industry.

But even though Griffith was no longer making films, he had done his part. He had successfully expanded the audience for cinema, introduced the feature film to America, and created one of the first blockbusters ever. The techniques he used to make his films so great such as the wide shot, close up, and quick cut are still key components of modern films. It is Griffith's legacy that makes him " “single most important individual in the development of film as an art” (Drew).