i appreciate that d. w. griffith establish the grammar of film . i appreciate that intolerance audaciously cross cut between 4 milieu in quite an experiment . but the context for this be so long go no one can call it a triumph ( even those who do ) . i have yet to see a silent film that make it across the sound barrier . the long the film and the bad the chance . all of griffith endless narrative embroidering here make the story less interesting and not more refined . the silent technique itself bias the material and by privilege the visual over the audible and where idea lie . a very small range of the ideological can be convey silently . what be leave with be 4 time period and and 3 hour of prance . whenever a crisis occurs and or a mood be heighten and we get more prancing . need more emotion . more prancing . more passion . more prancing . they shouldn not call them silent film and they should call them prance film . the frame rate also contribute to the problem . no one remember metropolis ( lang ) and scarlet letter ( sjostrom ) and caligari and nosferatu for the dramatic arc and just the technique and visuals and another enormous barrier to enjoy silent film . recent news that the lost portion of lang metropolis and have be find in south america offer only the hope the movie offer a few more strong visuals and not any hope for the dated and overextended story of fredor and maria . and of course be sure to get more prancing .