Silent Era's 10 best silent films that still captivate today

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

These films, despite the fact that almost a hundred years have passed since their creation, do not lose their appeal today. The rating of the 100 best films of the silent film era, compiled with the direct participation of viewers on the specialized site Silent Era, includes romantic stories and horror films, historical films and melodramas. In our today's review, we invite you to get acquainted with the top ten best silent films.

"Steam locomotive General", USA, 1926

The film by Clyde Brookman and Buster Keaton is about the events of the Civil War of the North and South, but the focus of the plot is not the fighting. The basis is a real case related to the hijacking of a steam locomotive, described by one of the participants in the war. This truly brilliant picture contains several genres at once: comedy and western, drama and adventure. In fact, "Steam Locomotive General" is a story of the courage of the common man. In the film, you can see the magnificent performance of the best actors of the era of the "great dumb": Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Kavender, Jim Farley and others.

Metropolis, Germany, 1927

Fritz Lang's painting turned out to be the most expensive in the history of German silent cinema and almost led to the bankruptcy of the studio, without recouping all its costs. Even today, the special effects and tricks used in the film are impressive, and critics emphasize the importance of the picture for the evolution and history of cinema. It is worth noting that Metropolis tells about the eternal struggle between good and evil. One of the connoisseurs of this film was Adolf Hitler.

Sunrise, USA, 1927

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's melodrama with George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor can melt even the hardest heart. An uncomplicated love story is shown in such a way that the viewer seems to live it with the heroes, cry and laugh, sympathize and resent, and also tries on the situation in general and its participants in particular. To make such a touching film without a single word is the highest skill of the director and actors.

City Lights, USA, 1931

Charlie Chaplin's comedy, where he himself acts as an actor, director, screenwriter and producer, is impressive, first of all, by the scale of the talent of the creator of the picture himself. Probably only the great Chaplin could make the comedy so touching, and the ending amazing with incredible sincerity and kindness. Everything is so carefully drawn in the picture, even the smallest details and characters, that the viewer can only plunge into this picture and feel like a part of it.

"Nosferatu, Symphony of Horror", Germany, 1922

The silent horror film by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau still impresses today with the indescribable atmosphere of the famous story of Bram Stoker about the Transylvanian vampire. The Prana Film company, which failed to obtain the rights to film the work, was forced to change the names of the characters and the names of the places, but the writer's widow accused the filmmakers of copyright infringement and demanded the destruction of all copies of the film that were available at that time. But a few copies of the tape still survived, and the picture reached the modern viewer.

"Gold Rush", USA, 1925

Another film by Charlie Chaplin, where the great actor played the main role and acted as a director, producer and screenwriter. And again, Chaplin managed to combine several genres in his masterpiece at once: adventure, comedy, drama and philosophical cinema. The ingenious creator of the tape rewired it 27 times before being satisfied with the result. He once again proved to the whole world and to himself: nothing is impossible for a person.

"The Passion of Joan of Arc", France, 1928

A film by Danish director Karl Theodor Dreyer condensed the story of Joan of Arc's trial, which lasted a whole year, to one day. The director was able to show not only the drama of events, but also convey to the viewer the concept of true, not devalued patriotism, the triumph of the soul and fortitude. In the frame, most of the screen time, you can observe a close-up of Jeanne d'Arc's face, without missing a single emotion. Maria Falconetti played in such a way that as a result, after the end of filming, she was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown.

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", Germany, 1920

The picture by Robert Vine is rightfully called the first full-fledged horror film. A hundred years have passed since its release, but to this day, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" fascinates with its atmosphere of horror. In this tape, the plot is impressive, according to which three young people become victims of a truly monstrous experiment, and also leaves an indelible feeling completely amazing acting in combination with a space that is broken and painted in disturbing colors.

"Battleship Potemkin" ", USSR, 1925

Sergei Eisenstein managed to shoot a truly reference film, in which the symbolism and abstractness of the script are combined, innovative methods of editing are used, and the idea of unity runs through the entire tape. In order to appreciate the film at its true worth, you have to watch it. Carefully, from start to finish. No wonder he entered the top ten films of all times and peoples and he is called a real masterpiece of cinematic art.

"Greed", USA, 1924

This film by Erich von Stroheim lasts a full four hours, and in the original version it ran twice as long. Today, some of the lost frames have been replaced with inserts of photographs, but the genius of the picture can be appreciated by the surviving episodes. The film turned out to be so frank and strong that it is simply impossible to pass by it. It remains relevant today, because it shows in all its impartiality human greed, capable of shackling a person's soul in its shackles.

Today, the silent film era seems naive and downright charming. The villains famously twisted the tips of their mustaches, the ladies always got into trouble, but at the last moment they were saved by a handsome hero. Even the vagabonds seemed quirky and romantic. But behind the scenes, the burgeoning film industry was decadent and at times overly free-spirited.