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Michel Hazanavicius’ effortlessly charming dramedy is really like discovering a lost film from the silent age. The director of the popular French OSS 117 spy spoof series recreates every aspect of a black and white silent film of the 1920s. From the classic 1.37:1 aspect ratio to the title cards to the dramatic pitch, he gets all the details right. His performers nail the acting style, which is a key to the film’s success. But it’s not just a gimmick. It’s a reminder that sometimes words get in the way of visual storytelling.

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin, OSS 117: CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES) is the biggest silent movie star. During the red carpet for his latest international action film, he bumps into Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo, A KNIGHT’S TALE), a pretty young fan looking for an autograph. Embarrassed at first, soon she’s posing for the cameras along with Valentin. The next day she goes to the studio looking to get a job as an extra and lands a role in Valentin’s next picture. He is so charmed by the young woman that he flubs scenes just so he can dance with her over and over again.

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Check Out the Trailer

F.W. Murnau is best known for his German silent classic NOSFERATU. He came to the U.S. specifically to make SUNRISE, a visually innovative romantic drama. At the very first Oscars, the film garnered awards for actress Janet Gaynor, cinematographers Charles Rosher and Karl Struss, and Best Unique and Artistic Production (an award only given at the first Academy Awards). Many critics’ lists rank this film among the best films of all time. The American Film Institute ranked in 63rd on its 100 Passions List, and last year the film made the 10th anniversary redo of AFI’s famed 100 best American films list. The Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 1989, while the film ranks within the top 250 films voted by fans on the Internet Movie Database. I list these accolades for nothing more than to show how a simple, well-told story can last the test of time. Film styles and techniques have evolved over time, but a powerful story never fails to resonate.

As the opening title cards state, this is a story that could take place at any time or any place. The characters are simply named The Man and The Wife. The Man (George O’Brien, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON) is cheating on his wife (Gaynor, SEVENTH HEAVEN) with a vacationing Woman From The City (Margaret Livingston, THE CANARY MURDER CASE). The scheming vamp finally convinces the man to drown his wife then sell the farm and move with her back to the city. After a great deal of struggle, the man finally takes his beautiful blonde bride out on the lake to commit the evil deed, but she catches wind of his devious plot.

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The epic apology for his racist BIRTH OF A NATION, INTOLERANCE is often used as an apology for film critics who want to recognize D.W. Griffith’s accomplishments without embracing the hard to recommend NATION. In retrospect, Griffith’s follow-up to his most notorious film is an overlong experiment that saves itself by coming together so well in the end. At its time of release, audiences were turned off by the four interwoven stories from four unconnected ages as well as the three plus hour running time. Modern audiences will have the same issues. Much like a crumbling ancient ruin, there is much to admire about INTOLERANCE as a historical document, but as a modern piece of art it has not held up over the test of time.

The subtitle for the film is “Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages,” which is actually a better description than intolerance of what connects the four tales. The modern story sees the intolerance of the reform movement, leading to the closure of a mine and the poverty of its workers. In the wake of the mine closing, an Irish boy (Robert Harron) gives up a life of crime to marry the innocent little Dear One (Mae Marsh). Framed for two crimes, the boy is sent to the gallows for a murder he did not commit and Dear One tries everything to save him. The Babylonian story sees a poor Mountain Girl (Constance Talmadge) fighting to defender the peace-loving secular Prince Belshazzar (Alfred Paget) and his Princess Beloved (Seena Owen) from the forces of Cyrus (George Siegmann), who has Babylon’s traitorous priests on his side. The next segment is set in 1572 in France where Catholic Catherine de Medici (Josephine Crowell) convinces her son King Charles IX of France (Frank Bennett) to carry out the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and how these events affect the Huguenot lovers, Brown Eyes (Margery Wilson) and Prosper Latour (Eugene Pallette). The fourth and shortest tale chronicles key events in the life and crucifixion of Christ (Howard Gaye). Also intercut between all the stories is Lillian Gish as the Mother Mary rocking Jesus’ cradle.

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This silent masterpiece presents interesting questions when one watches it. How was this subject matter received in 1929 when it was first released? How has the meaning and sympathies changed or not changed? Despite lacking any nudity, why does this film still retain such a high erotic appeal?

In its time, the film was received with great controversy for its frankness toward its scandalous material. Star Louise Brooks’ sexual abandon and provocative allure must have been shocking in its day. Part of its erotic charge still remains for two reasons — 1) despite being benign by today’s standards we have a clear sense when watching this silent film that its trying to get away with something naughty and 2) Louise Brooks, who grabs one’s attention from the first frame and will not let go, which is exactly what her character is supposed to be. Brooks plays Lulu, a freewheeling flapper who uses her sexuality to move upward in the world. She’s a party girl, who likes having a good time and above all — having sex.

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Watch the Film

Coming out in the same year as screen classics like THE GOLD RUSH and BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA doesn’t match the quality of those films, because it’s not trying to be those films. What the film succeeds in doing is taking a fairly simple story with thin-characters and lifting the material to another level with iconic imagery and action. The film isn’t about emotional subtlety, but grand notions. You could say it’s one of the first truly great popcorn flicks.

Much of its success lies in the hands of Lon Chaney (LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH) as the Phantom. Having done his own make-up, Chaney creates one of the greatest character design feats in cinema history. Because the face of the Phantom has become an icon of pop culture, the lead up to the big reveal is not nearly as shocking as it was in 1925, however we still anticipate it with eagerness. The filmmakers (created director is Rupert Julian, uncredited directors have included Ernst Laemmle, Edward Sedgwick and even Chaney) knew exactly how to play that moment. They even filmed it with flare, having the camera go out of focus like its scared of the Phantom’s hideousness and to enhance the skull-like look of the creature.

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In this silent classic, Buster Keaton plays spoiled millionaire’s son Rollo Treadway, who wants to marry snobby rich girl Betsy O’Brien (Kathryn McGuire, SHERLOCK, JR.) He plans the wedding and books a cruise for their honeymoon. All he has to do now is ask her. However, she denies him. So, saddened Rollo heads out on the cruise by himself. Through some mishaps Rollo and Betsy both end up on a steamship that is set adrift in the ocean.

Most of the humor of the film comes from the two rich kids being completely helpless on the ship. The gags are often character based and flow nicely. Besides Keaton’s impeccable comic timing, this film shows off McGuire’s skills as well.

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Watch the Film

I love Buster Keaton. He was a genius of an amazing range of talents. Up until seeing this film, THE CAMERAMAN was my favorite of his work. Now it’s this film. In only 44 minutes Keaton has created one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen.

He plays a movie projectionist who is studying to be a detective. He wants to marry his girl (Kathryn McGuire, THE NAVIGATOR), but the local sheik (Ward Crane, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) also vies for her hand. After the sheik sets up the projectionist as stealing the girl’s father’s (Joe Keaton, THE GENERAL) watch, the wanna-be detective is heartbroken. He goes back to the theater and as he falls asleep he is transported into the crime film playing on the screen where he becomes the suave detective Sherlock, Jr.

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Mel Brooks’ idea for making a silent movie was great, but the film doesn’t capitalize on its potential. Brooks plays Mel Funn, a recovering alcoholic film director who hasn’t had a hit in ages. Along with his sidekicks Marty Eggs (Marty Feldman, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN) and Dom Bell (Dom DeLuise, THE LOVED ONE), they set out to make a silent film.

Their Studio Chief (Sid Caesar, GREASE) doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but Funn sells it by saying he’ll get big stars. The Studio Chief is desperate because a huge conglomerate Engulf & Devour, run by Engulf (Harold Gould, THE STING) and Devour (Ron Carey, HISTORY OF THE WORLD: PART I), are staging a hostile takeover of Big Pictures Studio.

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Canadian director Guy Maddin is known in film circles for making avant-garde cinema. His DRACULA: PAGES FROM A VIRGIN’S DIARY is just that. The film’s style perfectly captures the look and feel of a silent film like NOSFERATU. For effect, Maddin even uses color tinting to compliment the mood of the scenes. However, Maddin also uses the elements of silent films for comic effect — oh, how he has fun with melodramatic title cards.

Maddin tells the story of Dracula, mixing the plotline of the Bram Stoker novel with ballet. In 73 minutes, he boils down the plot into its key elements and presents an actually faithful adaptation of the Stoker tale. However, Maddin is too sly to make it that simple. He turns the novel’s themes of sexual promiscuity and foreign invaders into a contemporary satire on those issues. Dracula is played by Wei-Qiang Zhang, which highlights the irrational fears of immigration. The creature of the night stalks the blonde beauty Lucy (Tara Birtwhistle), but has his eyes set on the innocent Mina (CindyMarie Small, 2004’s SHALL WE DANCE?). Queue the xenophobic Dr. Van Helsing (David Moroni).

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I’ve seen almost as many Harold Lloyd films as I’ve seen Charlie Chaplin films now. I’m sadly behind on watching Buster Keaton films, which I will remedy as soon as I can. This film is Lloyd’s masterpiece. It perfectly balances story, gags and pathos.

Lloyd plays Harold Lamb, a teenager who is extremely excited to be attending Tate College. He over prepares himself for school and ends up looking like a fool to the upperclassman. Harold desperately wants to be as popular as the football captain Chet (James Anderson, FLEETWING). He throws his savings at the other students to make friends, but unbeknownst to him the college cad (Brooks Benedict, SPEEDY) ridicules him behind his back. This all saddens the young maid Peggy (Jobyna Ralston, WHY WORRY?), who meets Harold on the train and over time falls for him.

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