It's hard to speculate how cinema would have developed if there had been no D.W. Griffith, but without his groundbreaking contributions, the narrative possibilities of motion pictures would not have evolved so quickly. This thorough documentary by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill explores Griffith's contributions to the art of cinema and the controversies and scandals that surrounded everything he touched. It's the type of project that will change the way film buffs view Griffith's work and help audiences come to terms with his most notorious and innovative work, THE BIRTH OF A NATION.