Customer Reviews

Griffith;D.W. Griffith Masterw

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This is one of the best compilations of early cinema to date, and on DVD at that! I don't know how much you would care about the free posters, as they are repros, I'm not that big of a fan, but it is a nice bonus.

These are the films that defined cinema as it stands today. These are the films that began a long and wonderful history of entertainment. Everything from Eisenstein's montage theory ("Battleship Potempkin") to the shocking stark realities from D.W. Griffith ("Birth of a Nation") even to Weimar Cinema and culture (Fritz Lang's "Metropolis") and film noir ("Nosferatu"). These are the classics, the forefathers, the basis from which current techniques, themes, styles, and shots are drawn. What you have in this 12 DVD set is a slice of history, of the birth of cinema.

If you consider yourself a film fan, or if you enjoy a wide variety of classic movies, this truly is a must-own set. You simply cannot understand modern cinema without first viewing these classics. Enjoy!

I watched the collection and thrilled. It is a must to watch beautiful movies. You will surely love them.

This DVD set is very impressive. Not only does it offer the masterpieces of D.W. Griffith's career (including, of course, Birth of a Nation) but it also has all the shorts from the two videos "Selected Biograph Shorts," additional shorts, a biography and news items, and memorabilia. I am very happy to finally be able to see "In the Border States" and "The House with Closed Shutters." They both star my favorite actor, Henry B. Walthall, and I was searching for these shorts for awhile. I believe this set represents the first time these shorts have been made widely available. Considering their age, they look great on this set. In addition, this collection offers a 6 minute discussion of Birth of a Nation between the director himself and Walter Huston (who played Lincoln in Griffith's 1930 talkie Abraham Lincoln), clips of Griffith's funeral, radio eulogy by Erich von Stroheim, and many other "special features." The memorabilia includes lobby cards and programs for Birth of a Nation, articles from Photoplay magazine which are copied well and easy to read, and photos, postcards and magazine covers of Griffith's leading ladies. I only wish the leading men received the same treatment, but one can't have everything. A silly short starring Griffith ("Rescued From the Eagle's Nest" from 1908) and a very fake looking bird is included. The presentation is very well-done with video clips and period music on the menu pages. The packaging is also handsome and displayable. I was hoping little booklets would be included with each disc, however, there are only slips of paper with the film listings and pictures. Still, the bonus shorts and tons of extras make this a must for any Griffith or silent film collection.

Kino did the legendary director right by this handsome set. The films are of a remarkable quality considering their age and every little detail is looked after. The menu pages, for example, are very creative. The Biograph Shorts have previews of each film set in an old fashioned background with typical silent movie music to give the viewer the feel of sitting in a old-time nickelodeon. The Orphans of the Storm menu page has a curtain that lifts up. The people at Kino really took the time to produce an excellent presentation, and it shows. In addition, with each DVD in this set, you get lots of rare shorts (some never before released), memorabilia, photos, and even contemporary articles. Incidentally, if you only wish to own a particular DVD from this set, each are also sold separately; however, if you think you may want all these DVDs eventually, don't hesitate to buy this set.

Amazon recommends this to me, but there is no information at all about the contents of this package, except that it apparently contains something by D.W. Griffith. Are there films by other directors as well? Weird.