Art Of Film

When we think of movies, we usually think about all the graphics and special affects that will be in the movie. But do we ever think of where movie began? People have been captivated by movies for centuries, but actual movie film wasn’t made until the early 1900’s. During the 1920’s, people were just as fascinated and amazed with silent movies as they are now with the high-tech movies. The audience craved more –they wanted more than music that accompanied the movie, they wanted more reality, but were the early talkies really any better than the silent movies?

Once talkies came out, it was the death of the silent era. Today many people believed that silent movies were primitive, but what are they basing this on? Silent movies were much more than mere film; they were art. People interpreted them in different ways. A lot was based on individual imagination. According to Jack Warner of the Warner Bros. fame, “Silent films had an international appeal, a visual language that transcended the spoken word. They allowed the audience to invest their own meanings, imagine their own dialog.”

The actors in silent films were accused of being too melodramatic. Look at the greatest of the greats, take Charlie Chaplin as an example. Of course his actions were exaggerated, that made him such a favorite character. Because there was no speech, the actors depended on their acting ability to tell the story – an art that was both difficult and under appreciated. Yes, they exaggerated their emotions. They had a story to tell – a story that couldn’t be heard, only seen.

The early superstars of the silent era were heartthrobs as great as any of modern day. Take Rudolph Valentino – and many of women would gladly have taken him! He could make the audience swoon by his mesmerizing stares. Each women in the audience could imagine that he was gazing only upon them. He was the forerunner for the Clark Gables of yesteryear and the Rob Pattinson’s of today! Was one era better than the other? None could compare to the original silent appeal of Rudolph Valentino; he needed no words – his presence and character were enough to elevate him to great heights in the early entertainment industry.

Silent movies were actually never silent. Music was an important part of the movies. They could change the whole feeling of the seen. Some movie theaters even had a live orchestra! The music was enthusiastic and exciting and gave the movie just the extra kick. Suspense was magnified by the accompanying music. The audience would be glued to the screen and stuck in their seats in anticipation heightened by the music accompaniment.

Silent movies were international movies because anyone could understand them. They had international acceptance and appeal. The observer was not stifled by language barriers. Anyone, anywhere could watch and understand the meaning that the actors were conveying. Translations and explanations were not needed. Silents were a universal medium for all.

Silent movies are a lost art, but to film aficionados, they are making a comeback.The modern movie, Wall-E, had a huge section of the movie that was portrayed without speech. It was a successful movie and it leaned on the silent films to create a modern version of how a story could be told with no dialog.

Silent movies were the stepping stone of the great movies that are made today. Technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. Each new movie tries to top the last movie out. There is a lot of frosting on the cake. Take off the frosting, get back to the basic recipe of the cake and you will see how great the ingredients were from the beginning. The silents needed no additional frosting to be happily devoured by all!

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http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%60TALKIES%27+MORE+THAN+A+FAD%3B+SERIES+OF+PROBLEMS+ACCOMPANIED+EARLY+SOUND...-a083611840

http://www.forgetthetalkies.com/2009/06/recommended-silent-film-reading-dos-and.html

http://www.sunrisesilents.com/blog2.html