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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 171

Intolerance

1916210 minUnited States
DramaCrime
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
166:43
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · D. W. Griffith; Intolerance · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

Synopsis

Four stories unfold across ancient Babylon, biblical Judea, sixteenth-century France and modern America. Their characters face persecution, conflict and the consequences of others' certainty. Parallel editing invites the viewer to compare distant lives through recurring forms of intolerance.

Cast

DirectorsD. W. Griffith

Historical context

The film combines reconstructed historical episodes with a contemporary melodrama. Its large-scale sets and interwoven timelines make it an important experiment in silent cinema's ability to organise space and centuries within one narrative.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

WikipediaInternet Archive

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 13, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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