The Take
Intolerance is mid at best. The 1916 silent epic earns its Slop Score of 48 through pioneering craft undercut by a relentless moral lecture.
Griffith built colossal practical sets and invented parallel editing across Babylonian, Judean, French, and American stories, yet the tolerance thesis lands as dated finger-wagging that undercuts its own point.
The Verdict
Groundbreaking technique meets preachy thesis and loses. Watch Metropolis instead for the same era's ambition without the sermon.
Skip. Slop Score 48.
Common Questions
Is Intolerance woke?
No. Its 1916 moralizing feels more like a dated lecture than modern messaging.
Why is Intolerance controversial?
Griffith's prior Birth of a Nation and some racial depictions in the Babylonian story drew backlash.
How long is Intolerance?
Over three hours with intermission in original runs.
