I've seen some of it and it certainly seems well-made for its time. It also obviously is incredibly capable from a propaganda standpoint in terms of the narrative of black rapists and the "heroic" Klan.

But liberal rags to this very day call it "one of the greatest films ever made". I find it highly suspect on the basis of the fact that the social context (pandering to racial prejudice, etc.) was such a major driver of its popularity. I feel like it's very possible it just gained this overblown reputation from racist critics and writers that wasn't adequately challenged over the following many years -- however much the ideology might be audited.

That said, I haven't seen the whole thing and I'm not a film critic, even less so of silent film. Anyone here have a strong opinion on the subject?