Final answer:
D.W. Griffith made significant contributions to the modern language of cinema through his innovative filming techniques, including the use of camera angles, close-ups, and editing to create complex narratives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Filmmaker D.W. Griffith significantly contributed to the modern language of cinema. He is especially well-known for taking the camera out of the theatre, which revolutionized how stories were told through film. Griffith introduced innovative techniques such as different camera angles, close-ups, and following the action with moving carriages. These techniques, combined with his use of editing to weave scenes into cohesive narratives, laid the foundational grammar for modern filmmaking.
Griffith's films, like his controversial 'Birth of a Nation' (1915), although criticized for their content, showcased his pioneering use of the medium. His development of narrative storytelling in cinema was instrumental in the transformation from the simple, stage-like presentations of early film to the complex motion pictures that followed. Griffith's work also influenced the geographical shift in the American film industry, as he and other filmmakers moved to Hollywood to escape patent restrictions, leading to California becoming the heart of America's movie production.