Several silents have been mentioned, but does anyone want to discuss favorite silent movies? They can be your favorite for any reason. Wow, I've got a two-page shopping list of them, but I want to know what yours are. Then again, if you want to just discuss the concept of silents or attack them for some reason, go ahead. Anything to get some action.

I guess I can put one out there, as my actual favorite. That would be "City Lights" by Charlie Chaplin. It might not be his actual funniest, although the boxing scene definitely ranks as perfect comedy. But the entire story with the blind girl, which was even criticized 73 years ago as overly-bathetic, strikes a deep chord with me and results in probably the most-memorable ending of a silent which I can recall.

I may not be as big a silent movie fan as you, but I definitely am a fan.

And believe it or not, my favorite silent film, as well as one of my Top 5 ALLTIME favorite films is...City Lights!!

Prior to seeing it, I had only seen Chaplin's shorts, and didn't realize how much pathos were in his films. Not as big a fan of "The Gold Rush", but I do think "Modern Times" is very good. I know it's more accessible to the modern audience, but I just like it a lot.

I've always wondered why "City Lights" has never been re-made. Part of me would like to see it done, although the other part thinks they could never do it justice. You need a physical comedian who can also be sensitive. Maybe Jim Carrey?

Had you ever seen "Unknown Chaplin" when it was on PBS? It was tremendous, and showed a lot about how "City Lights" came to be made.

As for other silent film "auteurs", I have never been able to "get" Keaton. I've seen "The General", and while I applaud its vision and risk-taking, I don't think it's a "great" movie.

I happen to like Harold Lloyd a heck of a lot better, and he's always been the third one behind Chaplin and Keaton. I think that "Safety Last" is truly an excellent movie.

On to drama...I like D.W. Griffith's stuff, and appreciate his vision and risk-taking. Is "Birth of a Nation" racist? It's definitely racist, but I can still appreciate the filmmaking.

However, I have never "gotten" Eisenstein. They showed "Battleship Potemkin" in my film class at college, and I fell asleep.

Whew!!

Was your film class in the morning? I know that "Potemkin" takes a while to get going, but after 30 minutes, it kicks ass. Also, I can understand if you fall asleep at "Alexander Nevsky" (not a silent), but it has so many incredible scenes and Prokofiev's score is groundbreaking.

As far as Keaton goes, you watched the "straightest" of his films. I like "The General", but it doesn't really show off his crazy side. For that, you need to watch "Sherlock, Jr.", "Seven Chances", "Our Hospitality", "College" and "Steamboat Bill, Jr" (especially the ending of the latter, in case the earlier stuff puts you to sleep.)

I didn't mention dramas, but the 1925 "Ben-Hur" has incredible action, "Sunrise" is beautiful, haunting and surreal, and "Metropolis" and "The Passion of Joan of Arc" are mind-blowing.

Nah, I saw "Battleship Potemkin" in the early afternoon.

Nah, I saw three of the other Keaton films you mentioned..."Steamboat Bill", "Our Hospitality", and "Sherlock Jr." They did nothing for me.

This week, in honor of Labor Day, we saw Eisentstein's "Strike." It was done in 1924 or 1925, and seemed to presage not only things we have taken for granted forever in films but also in still photography. Almost every shot would make a great still! It was brilliant! His portrayal of the bosses was particularly funny (on purpose). I think it was recently restored and available on DVD, with music that I thought was pretty good (some of it sounds a little Philip Glass-like). Also, it was only 82 minutes, for those who fear the soporific effect of silent films.

I'm not sure I ever saw the restored "Strike"(1924) with a musical score, but the one I saw reminded me of parts of "Potemkin", especially the way the rhythm of the editing escalates so feverishly. I remember thinking, why don't they talk about "Strike" in such hallowed tones the way they discuss "Potemkin"? Of course, Griffith had already re-invented editing with "Intolerance", and I'm sure I shouldn't mention von Stroheim's "Greed" yet, but we'll get there eventually!

I liked that 1920's German expressionist movie The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Pretty creepy for its time, as much as Nosferatu was. The atmosphere was the real winner here.

I agree that City Lights is the best silent- one of the best films over. I also agree re: The General & Sherlock Jr., even Ben Hur.
Speedy is an underrated silent classic.

First off, I think you have the hots for Louise Brooks. Secondly, Fritz Lang, Marlene Dietrich, Billy Wilder, Fred Zinnemann, etc., all ended up over here because of that paperhanger SOB (to quote Gen. Patton politely.). We have to TRY to look on the bright side. Several other directors, cameramen and actors came over, and we have their "progeny" to watch again and again.

Maybe I should start a thread on Leni Riefenstahl, who stayed and made "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia". I will if there's enough interest. She started as an actress in German silent movies.

One film that I have not seen mentioned here is Vidor's The Crowd, which I consider one of my favorite films. For anyone who's a fan of Billy Wilder's The Apartment, this was apparently a source for some of the story as well as a number of the exterior shots that sweep up the side of the worker's building.

I'm not the biggest silent film fan, but I've seen a number and would highly recommend it.

quote:

Originally posted by GacYzeKlowN:
I liked that 1920's German expressionist movie The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Pretty creepy for its time, as much as Nosferatu was. The atmosphere was the real winner here.

Never have seen The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari but I did enjoy Nosferatu. Also liked The Golem, it wasn't too long ago I caught that film. Definitely enjoy the Chaney Sr. films. The only one I have on dvd is Phantom of the Opera, which I love to death. As silents go, except for a Chaplin or two and some Keystone Cops, all I've seen are horror-fantasy based movies.

crazed, do you get Turner Classic Movies? They periodically show The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in a wonderfully-restored, pristine and tinted print. That's the best presentation I've seen of it. You need to try to hook up with some Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd too.

Hey, I almost forgot, you haven't seen Metropolis? Shoot that one way up to the top of your To See List, but just make sure you get the newest, restored version.

Thanks for the tip on TNT (Which I get), I'll have to start checking the schedule more often.

I have seen Metropolis but ages & ages ago on some poor quality, public library 16mm rental. Guess it is time to rent a dvd for that flick.

I'm talking about TCM, not TNT, but good luck in tracking it down.

TCM. I think I get it. *scratches head* I'm sure I do. I'm so not used to watching TV for anything but dvds.

I was just watching some of Hitch's To Catch a Thief on TCM before I came over here. (I just read your post in the Mysteries thread.)

I'd have to say my two favorites are F.W. Murneau's Sunrise and Carl Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc.

Awesome choices! Torally unique visualizations in those two. I just hope that you've seen all the master comedians, Fritz Lang, King Vidor, Eisenstein, etc. Silent film is a complete world unto itself.

Picked up a 4 dvd set recently, German Horror Classics which just arrived. These silent classics include Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922), Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), The Golem (1920) and Waxworks (1923). The extras look pretty interesting, as they include short films and large excerpts from various films. Still bummed that there doesn't seem to be a Lon Chaney Sr. dvd collection yet. Guess I just have to wait longer.

I want to hear what you think of those. And then I want to borrow Waxworks.