D.W. Griffith's Intolerance: Its Genesis and Its Vision Book

Pretty much your only and most thorough book on the film, that captures the historical perspective more than anything, as the title more or less indicates. Griffith was a Progressive Individualist and many of his films reflect that. Here Drew makes this point, not only showing the political and social times, but in the film Intolerance as well as several others in the filmmakers canon of work. This isn't a book that talks about prints or the making of the film(there is some of that), but rather the artistic notions of Griffith's master work. Although it is seen as a failure during it's time (though Drew argues this point as well), it was Griffith's most realized work as to what film could be. This book does a fine job explaining those topics as well.

There is some fantastic research here, way more than just an assumed doctoral thesis, covering film reviews, sociological aspects, politicians -- you get a real flavor for the era when Intolerance was made, and why, and why it was somewhat overlooked at a time when the Great War was brewing. Ultimately the book falls upon Drew's idea of Griffith and his Progressive and Individualistic points of view, and how he expressed them in his movies. As the country drifted away from a more passive, or the splendid isolationist nation, to one that repeatedly involved itself in global affairs (such as the Great War and the Philippines), Griffith struggled with success more with his films. Anyone interested in early film, film making, and early 20th century history should certainly give this a read. Also, great photographs!