D.W. Griffith's controversial 1915 epic, The Birth of a Nation is one of the few silent-era films to exploit the stereotype of the black male in order to reinforce the doctrine of 'white supremacy,' How it achieves such is through the use of the much maligned 'brute' figure, which is exemplified here by the renegade Gus (Walter Long) who not only betrays his former masters by joining the black revolt, but in addition, commits the unthinkable crime of lusting after and ultimately causing the suicide of one of the Cameron daughters. This motif is replicated in the character and actions of Silas Lynch played by George Siegmann, the mixed-race leader of his people. The sexual racism that these characters exude plays a crucial part in the film's thematic development and it comes to a head in the film's last minute rescue finale which justifies the actions of the Ku Klux Klan, captioned by Griffith as the savior of white civilization.
The race feeling ran high wherever the film was screened which resulted in riots in Boston and other cities. While the publicity generated undoubtedly increased box-office receipts, Griffith himself was mercilessly attacked by the liberal press for his overarching racism and romanticizing of the murderous KKK, whose membership trebled within month's of the film's release. Cinemas were henceforth picketed and the newly formed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) managed to get the film banned in the state of Kansas as well as a number of cities. To counteract the widespread tumult over the 'white supremacy' aspect of this film, Griffith went on to make his monumental epic in 1916 - Tolerance. For this, which would be his most ambitious film, Griffith fashioned a cinematic 'fugue' out of four separate stories taking place in four separate historical eras.