The 1920's were known as the Pre-sound era. These were the top ten movies of the decade
Top 10 movies in the 1920's:
The Big Parade (1925)
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
The Ten Commandments (1923)
What Price Glory? (1926)
The Covered Wagon (1923)
Way Down East (1921)
The Singing Fool (1928)
Wings (1927)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Looking at this list, I was curious to know the plots of these movies…having checked them out on www.imdb.com it seems that they were about religion and war (WWI). If movies are a reflection of what society is collectively thinking, we’re thinking about religion and war. Interesting how these two things have gone hand and hand at various times throughout history.
ReplyDeleteMany starts who appeard in these early silent films never made the transition to the "talkies". Their careers ended due to bad voices, bad overall acting as audio made movies all the more realistic and many actors and actresses simply could not measure up.
ReplyDeleteIf there wasn't any sound how could they be sure that the audience was getting the message that they had hoped to portray? I can't imagine them being very interesting or entertaining.
ReplyDelete@ Karen:
ReplyDeleteActors relied on pantomime and broad gestures to convey emotion and subtext. It might look childish or simplistic to a modern viewer but you also have to keep in mind it has more of a firm footing in stage theatre than what you're used to these days with CGI laden special effects.
Actually, in my "Art of Theatrical Cinema" class we are covering silent films of the 20's, and one of the films on that list was featured in the class. DW Griffith's "Way Down East" is the story of a young woman tricked into a fake marriage, then deserted when it is revealed she is pregnant. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys silent films, though it is over 2 hours, just so you all are aware.
ReplyDeleteActually, some of the most influential films of all time were being created in Europe--specifically Russia and Germany. The German Expressionist movement was in full swing, resulting in films such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "Nosferatu", as well as "The Battleship Potemkin" in Russia.