To say that cinematic history is complicated is an understatement. Often, ugly realities tied to film history need to be presented within their context to learn from these particular moments. This is important for scholars to acknowledge and for audiences to understand.
Paul McEwan uses Cinema’s Original Sin: D.W. Griffith, American Racism, and the Rise of Film Culture to explore the influence of film culture and films as an art form. There is division in terms of how racism has been handled by scholars, with some dismissing it and focusing upon form in addition to others relegating it to the past entirely.McEwan presents a fascinating and well-researched history that traces this issue back to the 1920s and argues that this controversy within film history has shaped understandings of film, race, and art.
Cinema’s Original Sin: D.W. Griffith, American Racism, and the Rise of Film Culture is available for purchase via University of Texas Press.
Hometowns to Hollywood 