Birth of a Nation is not considered best film of all time. It is considered one of the most racist films tho
From a technical perspective it really was considered a great movie for decades, It is, as you mention, extremely racist, and that eventually outweighed any merits of the film itself after the techniques it developed had long become routine.
I’ve never seen it but I have an inlaw that has the poster in the house. I’ve never mentioned it. Is it possible for people to like the movie without being a racist? Do some viewers not notice the racism?