The Gold Rush (1924) dir. Charlie Chaplin. USA. 'The Tramp—small, innocent, beleaguered, romantic, oblivious, resourceful, idealistic—lives inside everyone, but Charlie Chaplin made him manifest, with humor that is never cruel, never aggressive, and always speaks to our best selves. The Gold Rush takes the Tramp, in his longest outing to date, from rags to riches, … Continue reading Film 9: The Gold Rush
Film 8: The Last Laugh
The Last Laugh (1924) dir. F. W. Murnau. Germany. 'F.W. Murnau's "The Last Laugh" (1924) tells this story in one of the most famous of silent films, and one of the most truly silent, because it does not even use printed intertitles. Silent directors were proud of their ability to tell a story through pantomime … Continue reading Film 8: The Last Laugh
Film 7: Sherlock Jr.
Sherlock, Jr. (1924) dir. Buster Keaton. USA. (NB: We switched film 7 and 8 on our docket for timing purposes. They were both released in 1924.) 'The greatest of the silent clowns is Buster Keaton, not only because of what he did, but because of how he did it. Harold Lloyd made us laugh as … Continue reading Film 7: Sherlock Jr.
Film 6: Souls For Sale
1 Souls for Sale (1923) dir. Rupert Hughes. USA. 'This is a prime example of the mid-range entertainment Hollywood was producing so skillfully at the time. Filled with actors who were then stars, fast-moving, entertaining, with a spectacular circus action sequence at the climax, it is drama, melodrama, romance and satire all at once -- … Continue reading Film 6: Souls For Sale
Film 5 : Safety Last!
Safety Last (1923), dir. Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor. USA 'Roach once said, “Harold Lloyd worked for me because he could play a comedian. He was not a comedian. He was the best actor I ever saw being a comedian . . . No one worked harder than he did.” The actor Jobyna Ralston, … Continue reading Film 5 : Safety Last!
Film 4: Broken Blossoms
Broken Blossoms (1919) dir. D. W. Griffith. USA. "...and then there is Lillian Gish's face. Was she the greatest actress of silent films? Perhaps; her face is the first I think of among the silent actresses, just as Chaplin and Keaton stand side by side among the men. When she was filming 'The Whales of … Continue reading Film 4: Broken Blossoms
Film 3 : Intolerance
Intolerance (1916) dir. D. W. Griffith. USA. "'Intolerance' is one of the two or three most influential movies ever made, and I think it is also the greatest. Yet many of those who are interested in movies have never seen it.... "Intolerance" was a commercial failure in 1916, and it has never had much popular reputation. … Continue reading Film 3 : Intolerance
Film 2 : Birth of a Nation
Birth of a Nation (1915) dir D.W. Griffith. USA. Griffith and "The Birth of a Nation" were no more enlightened than the America which produced them. The film represents how racist a white American could be in 1915 without realizing he was racist at all. That is worth knowing. Blacks already knew that, had known … Continue reading Film 2 : Birth of a Nation
Film 1: Cabiria
Cabiria (1914) dir. Giovanni Pastrone. Italy. [As we work our way through our film history docket, we'll post (very) short write-ups of each movie, along with a piece of insight.] "The movie feels old, and by that I mean older than 1914. It feels like a view of ancient times, or at least of those … Continue reading Film 1: Cabiria
Film History Docket
Here it is! 365 films for 365 days. These are all significant movies that we haven't seen, taken (largely) from one of three lists. First, the 2012 Sight & Sound Best Films list, as voted on by prominent critics and directors. We combined the critics list and the directors list, eliminated duplicates, and eliminated films … Continue reading Film History Docket
Movie in a Weekend 