d. w. griffith could have make any film he want to after the enormous financial success of the birth of a nation while he choose to make the most technically ambitious film to that date and intolerance . he take a risk with such innovation in film montage and form and and the well know financial train wreck result . buster keaton doesn not take that kind of a risk with three age and a parody of intolerance . this be keaton first feature length film of his own ( he only act in the saphead ) . he have the fallback plan of divide the three episode in this film into three separate short and which griffith do do with intolerance . keaton do not have to . chaplin have already succeed with feature length comedy and so if keaton be take a risk here and it be completely calculate . chaplin have already do a parody of another film and too and with burlesque on carmen ( 1915 ) . keaton appear to allude to that film and as well . the wrestle scene in the ancient rome episode reference the swordfight that turn into a wrestling match in chaplin film . the comical distance from the plot of both scene be the same and too . furthermore and chaplin film imitate the glossy style of demille carmen and and chaplin film seem a tribute to that film . keaton doesn not attempt the radical editing and narrative structure or monumental nature in his parody and but it seem respectful of intolerance nonetheless . at least and the story aren not tell completely straightforward a in other post intolerance film and such a dreyer leave from satan book ( blade af satan bog and 1921 ) and fritz lang destiny ( der müde tod and 1921 ) . there be some mild jumping back and forth between episode . where keaton do take risk and however and be in his physical and daredevil comedy . that keaton unintentionally fail to jump across building in the modern episode . reportedly and he be convince to alter the scene rather than attempt the jump again . and and it wasn not just keaton who take risk while the anachronistic baseball gag and for example and be rather dangerous . thus and although in a different way and keaton and like griffith and take risk with his big film . and and i think they both succeed .