The Birth of a Nation (D.W. Griffith, 1915) and Intolerance (Triangle/Wark, 1916)

While D.W. Griffith’s editing makes him a major figure in the development of the visual syntax of narrative film, ² his filming of Judith of Bethulia (1914) and Intolerance (1916) encourage some film historians to credit Griffith—along with Cecil B. DeMille’s slightly later work—with the creation of the biblical spectacular. ³ Surprisingly, Griffith’s significance in the history of Jesus films is less noted. In fact, critics often simply bypass Intolerance in discussions of Jesus films.