AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies: No. 100


Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films.

No. 100: Birth of a Nation (1915)
Original List Rank: 44
Starring: Lillian Gish, Henry B. Walthall, Ralph Lewis, and Mary Alden
Director: D.W. Griffith
About: We can't avoid or hide from our past. But we don't always have to celebrate it. I understand at some level why this film, which was something of a cinematic achievement of the silent era from a decorated director, made the list. Notably, this is one of the highest ranked films on the original list to be omitted from the anniversary list. They took another Griffith film, which has its own problems, but left this one off. There are a lot of reasons why this film doesn't hold up today, but chief among them is the plot, which focuses heavily on the darker elements of our nation's history and our deep seeded racism. As a student of film, I get watching this. And this three-hour plus silent epic is massive in scale. But it isn't an easy or a joyful watch, especially in 2026.

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