D. W. Griffith: Continuity

In the first episode, we explore how D. W. Griffith and cameraman Billy Bitzer invented the grammar of continuity—cross-cutting, close-ups, and camera placement that made films legible. From The Lonedale Operator to Intolerance, his breakthroughs shaped cinematic storytelling. But with The Birth of a Nation, Griffith also revealed cinema’s dangerous ability to dignify lies. His legacy is invention and warning: every cut is an argument, and filmmakers bear responsibility for what they persuade us to believe.

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