silent cinema sampler
featuring Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, and more
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after last week’s post featuring the American Fotoplayer, i’ve been thinking about silent cinema.
when you think of silent cinema, you probably think of Charlie Chaplin. you may also be familiar with Buster Keaton and his famous stunts. you may not know the name of Harold Lloyd, but you’ve likely seen some of his stunts as well. have you heard of Edwin S. Porter? of Georges Méliès?
below are highlights and full-length films, a silent cinema sampler. many i have seen in the past, but most i have merely clicked through to see the quality and content. i figure they’re a good starter if you want to laugh at the cleverness of old cinema.
one caveat: many attitudes about many things, particularly race, were different when these films were made. i haven’t gone through all of these links, so know that if they contain problematic scenes, that’s not something i endorse. these films, like much of history, are a snapshot of a particular culture at a particular time, the good and the bad. we don’t have to condone the bad to enjoy the good, and if we ignore the bad, we’re doomed to repeat it.
enjoy.
Charlie Chaplin
highlights
shorts and features
Harold Lloyd
highlights
shorts and features
“Buster” Keaton
highlights
the video blog Every Frame a Painting has this great compilation with a look at a few scenes:
The General (whole feature linked below) features the most expensive shot of silent cinema. This scene is not camera trickery. it’s not a model. it’s exactly what it looks like.
shorts and features
The Great Train Robbery — Edwin S. Porter, dir.
this film from 1903 established the format of American cinema as we know it today. its production value is rudimentary by today’s standards (although big for its time, and it includes the first panning shot), but the vertebrae of the plot are a prehistoric spine which has evolved into today’s more-developed Hollywood movies.
and don’t miss the Thomas Edison logo on the opening title.
Trip to the Moon — Georges Méliès, dir.
this film was made in 1902, a year before The Great Train Robbery above. Méliès was a master of magic, a cinema wizard. and this is his masterpiece. inspired by the Jules Verne book (among other sources), this film features many special effects, some done in-camera.