The Fall of a Nation


The Fall of a Nation is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Thomas Dixon, Jr., and is a sequel to the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, directed by D. W. Griffith. Dixon, Jr. attempted to cash in on the success of the controversial first film. The Fall of a Nation is considered to be the first ever film sequel. Based upon The Fall of a Nation, written by the director, the film is now considered lost.

Plot

The Fall of a Nation is an attack on the pacifism of William Jennings Bryan and Henry Ford and a plea for American preparedness for war.
America is unprepared for an attack by the "European Confederated Army", a European army headed by Germany. The army invades America and executes children and war veterans. However, America is saved by a pro-war Congressman who raises an army to defeat the invaders with the support of a suffragette. According to the Internet Movie Database, the film is split into three sections: "A nation falls", "The heel of the conqueror" and "The uprising two years later".

Cast

Some battle scenes were filmed in the same location as The Birth of a Nation, at a cost of $31,000.

Soundtrack

The film had a musical score produced by Victor Herbert. The Encyclopædia Britannica states that "this is probably the first original symphonic score composed for a feature film". An earlier music score was composed by Camille Saint-Saëns for the short film The Assassination of the Duke of Guise.

Reception and aftermath

argues that the film was largely a commercial failure. The production company, Dixon Studios, went bust in 1921, having produced only this film.