"Intolerance" was met with an enthusiastic reception from film critics upon its premiere. Scholar Frank Beaver argues that "Griffith's intended message in "Intolerance" was not lost on reviewers", noting that in "The San Francisco Bulletin" a contemporary critic declared, "Griffith's film comes powerfully to strengthen the hand of the believers in love." Although "Intolerance" was a commercial failure upon its initial release, it has since received very positive reviews and later gained popularity. It has been called "the only film fugue". Theodore Huff, one of the leading film critics of the first half of the 20th century, believed that it was the only motion picture worthy of taking its place alongside Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings, etc., as a separate and central artistic contribution.