The Birth of a Nation/The Clansman (1915) - Griffith's unlovable work of epic cinema-historical proportions

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An original poster for D. W. Griffith's cinematic classic The Birth of a Nation showing the controversial hero of the film, the Ku Klux Clansman

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From the the Civil War between the Northern and Southern states in the US, which we experience from both sides, culminating in a grand battle where both the Northern and the Southern 'chum' are shot dead, side by side, the story of Birth evolves as a phony history lesson that gets more and more feeble. The story of the slain South's forcibly imposed Negro regime and the growth of the heroic resistance (the Ku Klux Klan) is deeply odd today to say the least. It was also controversial at the time of the film's release, and the racist reading of Birth made its legendary director D. W. Griffith make his next film on its basis, Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916), eager to show that he was no racist .
To a large degree, though, I find that it is Griffith's discourse that is at fault in Birth, and that the film never becomes a directly awful propaganda for racism. However, these particulars may be said to be irrelevant, as the KKK actually used Birth as a tool in their recruitment of new members for decades, from their refoundation in the 1920s and way into the 70s. So it is not a 'clean' picture, far from politically correct and most scholars of cinema will tell you that it is cinematically important without condoning of its content, (for obvious, good reasons.)
Birth features lots of action and fun episodes, but also incredibly overlong war scenes, and it is a hard film to relate to today.
Griffith introduced numerous new devices to the art of cinema storytelling with Birth and many other of his films, and the film is also noteworthy for its phenomenal commercial success, which wasn't surpassed until Victor Fleming's Gone With the Wind (1939).
Birth of a Nation is in the public domain today and can be watched or downloaded free and legal (although in undoubtedly shabby quality) here.

Watch a trailer for the epic film here

Budget: 0.1 mil. $
Box office: 50 mil. $ (from 1915-1950)
= Enormous success

What are your thoughts on Birth of a Nation (only if you have actually sat down and watched it)?
And on other Griffith-films, if you have seen any?