So, let's not keep silent, silent film lovers :) Murnau just had a birthday two days ago. Any comment on him? Favorite film? How you wold rank his films...
Also, I run The Internet Film Club. We have been watching Hitchcock these last two months (not the best silent film director) and next month (January) we will be watching Sternberg. I have seen three of his silent films (Underworld, The Docks of New York and The Last Command) but I managed to get a hold two others I have never seen before: Thunderbolt and The Salvation Hunters. Anyone seen any of those?
I think Sunrise is beautiful and a good film, just not among my favorites. The whole middle portion of the film doesn't add much to the narrative, I think a shorter version would make for a better movie.
Thank you, Major, for adding the full SilentEra 300! I've been waiting a long time for that to show up on iCM. Now we just need them to make it official!
Sternberg is one of my all time favorite director. I just saw The Salvation Hunters, his first film. It shows that he had a great visual eye from the beginning. The film is beautiful to look at, a mixture of avant garde and realism. The main problem with this film is how it desperately tries to be deep, give everything meaning and too willing to point out all the symbolism. If they had cut out the inter titles from the story teller then the film would have been poetic realism but instead it becomes preachy and pretentious. Thankfully Sternberg never made that mistake again. In all his latter films (those I have seen) he focuses on the visuals (and in some way on the story) and trusts the audience to find a meaning.
Only for the die hard Sternberg fans. 5/10. Those who want to watch his films chronologically should start with Underworld.
I watched two Griffith movies last night, The Girl Who Stayed at Home (1919) and The Love Flower (1920). Both of them star Carol Dempster and Richard Barthelmess.
The first picture is like most other WWI movies, not bad at all. The latter one, however, is very interesting. I was very much surprised by this one. It is similar to King Vidor's Wild Oranges (1924), but better.
In general most Griffith pictures starring Carol Dempster are not much appreciated because they suffer from Carol's lack of acting talent and most of them are pot boilers so they cannot be compared to his bigger pictures like The Birth of a Nation, Way Down East, Broken Blossoms, etc.
In most cases these Dempster movies are just average. Her acting is quite mediocre in this picture as well, but this one has much more to offer than most other Griffith/Dempster collaborations. The story is exciting, the action is fine, there are some nice melodramatic scenes that could have been great with a better actress. There are nice underwater scenes and some other very appealing shots. I believe Billy Bitzer photographed this one. Overall, a seldomly seen movie that's definitely worth it, despite its flaws.
I'm really glad to hear that, Major. The Artist has been at the top of my must-see list for a few months now. I've been wondering what other silent lovers thought about it. Can't wait to finally see it!
I found The Artist stylistically fine, but the story was overall sentimental and predictable. A fine crowd-pleaser, so I understand all the awards an fuss, but I hope something less pastiche and more thought-provoking can win the best picture award at the oscars.
I don't know if the audience is ready for something more thought-provoking, but I wouldn't mind if they tried to move on in that direction from here. It's a great start and I hope other directors will try similar projects. I think comedy is still the way to go, for now. Other neo-silents were too artsy or experimental and didn't get a large audience.
I've been going through and rewatching several of my favorite MGM silents. Today I watched Laugh, Clown, Laugh for probably the fifth or sixth time. This really is starting to become one of my favorite movies. I know the whole relationship between Lon Chaney and fifteen-year-old Loretta Young can seem a little creepy and awkward at certain points, but I believe that really adds to the tension of the film.
On a side note, Loretta Young always reminds me of Joan Crawford in these early roles. I really love a lot of her movies from the late-20's and early-30's.
It's really great to find many of those silent movies on youtube, especially because they're not that easy to find and, well, also because one can watch them without sound and... they work just as well!
Just saw Abel Gance's La Roue - 280 min on 2 disks from Flicker Alley (netflix just got it). Strange film. Mellerdrammer with lots of bells and whistles. Symbolism kind of heavy handed (where did the engineer get a postcard with Callot's "La roue" on it?)
Yesterday I saw Victory by Torneur and, well, didn't find it much engaging. Chaney is given his usual evil character, which he plays with the usual grimace and extraordinary charme. Rest of the cast is great, but the story tends to drag a lot and it's not really apt for a 70 minute movie.
All of you silent film lovers should come and participate in a silent film challenge on the iCM forum site (watch as many silents as you can in the month of August): http://s15.zetaboards.com/iCheckMovies/topic/7220876/1/
Come check out the forum, anyway; it's a site geared to discussion of the iCM site.
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Comments 1 - 25 of 29
Thorkell
So, let's not keep silent, silent film lovers :) Murnau just had a birthday two days ago. Any comment on him? Favorite film? How you wold rank his films...Also, I run The Internet Film Club. We have been watching Hitchcock these last two months (not the best silent film director) and next month (January) we will be watching Sternberg. I have seen three of his silent films (Underworld, The Docks of New York and The Last Command) but I managed to get a hold two others I have never seen before: Thunderbolt and The Salvation Hunters. Anyone seen any of those?
TheMajor
I haven't seen Thunderbolt and The Salvation Hunters. I did see The Docks of New York and The Last Command, both are among my favorite silents.My favorite films by Murnau are City Girl, Faust and Nosferatu. It's hard to decide which I like most. I also like Der letzte Mann.
Thorkell
What about Sunrise TheMajor?TheMajor
I think Sunrise is beautiful and a good film, just not among my favorites. The whole middle portion of the film doesn't add much to the narrative, I think a shorter version would make for a better movie.allisoncm
I love JANET GAYNOR!TheMajor
I love her too. Street Angel, 7th Heaven, great films.Local Hero -- aka MestnyiGeroi
No one does mousey like Janet Gaynor. How could you not love her in Street Angel and Seventh Heaven?Local Hero -- aka MestnyiGeroi
Thank you, Major, for adding the full SilentEra 300! I've been waiting a long time for that to show up on iCM. Now we just need them to make it official!Thorkell
Sternberg is one of my all time favorite director. I just saw The Salvation Hunters, his first film. It shows that he had a great visual eye from the beginning. The film is beautiful to look at, a mixture of avant garde and realism. The main problem with this film is how it desperately tries to be deep, give everything meaning and too willing to point out all the symbolism. If they had cut out the inter titles from the story teller then the film would have been poetic realism but instead it becomes preachy and pretentious. Thankfully Sternberg never made that mistake again. In all his latter films (those I have seen) he focuses on the visuals (and in some way on the story) and trusts the audience to find a meaning.Only for the die hard Sternberg fans. 5/10. Those who want to watch his films chronologically should start with Underworld.
TheMajor
you're welcome local Hero.i will watch two silents today, one of them will be a Griffith: "The Avenging Conscience"
TheMajor
I watched two Griffith movies last night, The Girl Who Stayed at Home (1919) and The Love Flower (1920). Both of them star Carol Dempster and Richard Barthelmess.The first picture is like most other WWI movies, not bad at all. The latter one, however, is very interesting. I was very much surprised by this one. It is similar to King Vidor's Wild Oranges (1924), but better.
In general most Griffith pictures starring Carol Dempster are not much appreciated because they suffer from Carol's lack of acting talent and most of them are pot boilers so they cannot be compared to his bigger pictures like The Birth of a Nation, Way Down East, Broken Blossoms, etc.
In most cases these Dempster movies are just average. Her acting is quite mediocre in this picture as well, but this one has much more to offer than most other Griffith/Dempster collaborations. The story is exciting, the action is fine, there are some nice melodramatic scenes that could have been great with a better actress. There are nice underwater scenes and some other very appealing shots. I believe Billy Bitzer photographed this one. Overall, a seldomly seen movie that's definitely worth it, despite its flaws.
TheMajor
I loved The Artist. Recommended!Yarb40
I'm really glad to hear that, Major. The Artist has been at the top of my must-see list for a few months now. I've been wondering what other silent lovers thought about it. Can't wait to finally see it!Frt
I found The Artist stylistically fine, but the story was overall sentimental and predictable. A fine crowd-pleaser, so I understand all the awards an fuss, but I hope something less pastiche and more thought-provoking can win the best picture award at the oscars.TheMajor
I don't know if the audience is ready for something more thought-provoking, but I wouldn't mind if they tried to move on in that direction from here. It's a great start and I hope other directors will try similar projects. I think comedy is still the way to go, for now. Other neo-silents were too artsy or experimental and didn't get a large audience.Yarb40
I've been going through and rewatching several of my favorite MGM silents. Today I watched Laugh, Clown, Laugh for probably the fifth or sixth time. This really is starting to become one of my favorite movies. I know the whole relationship between Lon Chaney and fifteen-year-old Loretta Young can seem a little creepy and awkward at certain points, but I believe that really adds to the tension of the film.On a side note, Loretta Young always reminds me of Joan Crawford in these early roles. I really love a lot of her movies from the late-20's and early-30's.
3eyes
Just spent a lot of time writing a comment and it didn't register. Phooey.3eyes
Tried again. Oh, well.3eyes
Just saw A story of floating weeds, Japanese silent from 1934 (Ozu). Looking forward to seeing the 1959 remake.TheMajor
I guess I've got to watch that. I've seen far too few Japanese silents.MDMaster
It's really great to find many of those silent movies on youtube, especially because they're not that easy to find and, well, also because one can watch them without sound and... they work just as well!3eyes
Just saw Abel Gance's La Roue - 280 min on 2 disks from Flicker Alley (netflix just got it). Strange film. Mellerdrammer with lots of bells and whistles. Symbolism kind of heavy handed (where did the engineer get a postcard with Callot's "La roue" on it?)TheMajor
La roue is an amazing film. I was blown away by its great editing and dramatic plot.MDMaster
Yesterday I saw Victory by Torneur and, well, didn't find it much engaging. Chaney is given his usual evil character, which he plays with the usual grimace and extraordinary charme. Rest of the cast is great, but the story tends to drag a lot and it's not really apt for a 70 minute movie.Local Hero -- aka MestnyiGeroi
All of you silent film lovers should come and participate in a silent film challenge on the iCM forum site (watch as many silents as you can in the month of August): http://s15.zetaboards.com/iCheckMovies/topic/7220876/1/Come check out the forum, anyway; it's a site geared to discussion of the iCM site.
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