1916, the year Babylon got into Hollywood: An historical analysis of David W. Griffith’s Intolerance

Abstract

This paper aims to study how Babylon was portrayed in the 1916 film by David W. Griffith – Intolerance. This motion picture reveals a Babylon which is the direct result of the diverse visions and ideas the different historical actors had over the centuries. Through a historical analysis of Intolerance, a film that reached vast audiences at the time, one may be elucidated about the way the ancient capital was envisioned in the beginning of the 20th century, and which were the visual and textual sources used by the director to portray the city and its final fall.