In this acclaimed 3-part documentary, film historian Kevin Brownlow and David Gill tell the proud, sad story of D.W. Griffith: the man who first brought artistry and ambition to the movies, and then, having dragged a reluctant American film industry to international prominence, found it had no more use for him. A wealth of background detail is provided by vivid accounts of Griffith at work (from Lillian Gish, Blanche Sweet, Karl Brown, Stanley Cortez, among others), and a comprehensive account of the great controversy sparked by The Birth Of a Nation.