The Sound of Silents-- Part 2

(Safety Last!, 1923)

This is Part Two of Two:

So much could be said about silent movies that books are still written on the subject; the topic is nowhere near exhausted. Should you watch silent movies? Of course! What kind? Well, what kind of movies do you like? Like movies from the modern era, there are dramas, comedies, romances, westerns, low-key tales and big-budget studio productions, and some are better than others. Some silent films are short running anywhere from 10-20 minutes, many of which are comedies starring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charley Chase, the Keystone Kops.

If you’ve never seen a film from the silent era, please expand your cinematic horizons and venture where generations of people before you have gone. But please remember that you’re watching a piece of history, a story for a people who did not have computers or televisions, and radio was still in its infancy. The world was still attracted to photographs, and then pictures began to move. Studios produced these moving pictures to thrill and excite people. Think of silent movies as foreign films because in a sense they are foreign to our modern sensibilities and to our expectations of entertainment.

Think of yourself not as a 21st century movie watcher familiar with digital downloads, but as an early 20th century person curious about this newfangled invention called moving pictures being shown in movie houses. After all, you know what stage plays are like, but what is this innovative device where a story can have scene changes within the blink of an eye? Where we can see an actor’s expression change as if we standing right in front of him? To move from England to the exotic desert as quickly as a thought, and back again?

So maybe you’re interested and would like to watch one of these classics from a bygone era. Where to start? Here are some suggestions:

The Phantom of the Opera (1925) starring Lon Chaney, the “man of a thousand faces.” One of the earliest versions of the famous story by Gaston Leroux. This movie is still creepy and features a wonderful unmasking scene.

Nosferatu (1922), the first film version of Dracula; this movie is a must-see for vampire fans. Nosferatu is hauntingly atmospheric with a rat-like bloodsucker. It still offers chills late at night.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (Le Passion de Jeanne d’Arc) (1928): If you want realism in a silent movie, look no further. Director Carl Theodor Dreyer wanted the film so real that the story was based on actual transcripts from the trial of Joan of Arc, the sets were created full size (not just cut-away typically done in the silent era), and none of the actors wore makeup. It was such a grueling experience that Maria Falconetti (Joan) vowed she would never make another movie, and she didn’t. But she gave us one of the best performances in screen history, conveying the passion and soul of Joan of Arc without the use of sound.

Metropolis (1927): This sci-fi film from Fritz Lang is more metaphorical than anything. A subterranean working class toil exhaustingly to provide for the upper class living above ground. A worker from below falls in love with a man from the higher class to lead a revolt. This film is a timeless message of the fight against oppression.

Intolerance (1916): We have Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur, and Titanic, but this film set the stage for every epic film that followed. The movie cost a then unheard of amount of $2,000,000 (roughly $387,000 today) to shoot this film that runs almost 3 hours. The topic is the intolerance of “love’s struggle throughout the ages,” and it intercuts four different time periods: Ancient Babylon, the condemnation of Christ, St. Bartholomew’s Day in 1572 Paris, and modern America. The sets were so massive and influential that part of them were reproduced for the new Kodak Theatre Complex that opened in 2001.

The Kid (1921): Charlie Chaplin worked a year to develop this story of a tramp who raises an orphaned baby. Both funny and touching, this movie shows us how unexpected circumstances can transform our lives forever. Wonderfully ageless.

Sherlock Jr. (1924): Although not nearly as famous as Charlie Chaplin, many people consider Buster Keaton the better talent; much of his humor is based on sight gags as much as slapstick, maybe more. He directed himself in this movie of a film projectionist who wishes to become a detective. When accused of a crime he dreams of catching the culprit like a moving picture hero would. This movie features some of the best visual effects as he literally jumps from scenario to scenario, all decades before the invention of CGI graphics. Amazing and funny.

Safety Last! (1923): The third name in the silent film comedy trifecta after Chaplin and Keaton is Harold Lloyd. A country boy working as a clerk in a big city department store devises a way to bring customers into the store: Harold’s friend, a “human fly,” will scale the building, but when he vanishes because he’s secretly a fugitive from the law, Harold must do it himself… with hilariously disastrous results. A true comic classic.