The silent films thread: The enema of the screen

[Jali]

Don't talk too fast! 1926 is another staggering year. You're in for a treat with "A Page of Madness" and "Ménilmontant".

I've always felt Faust, while great, is a bit too dependant on its literary source, and feels slightly stodgy. For all its visual magic, it often feels a wonderful illustration more than true creation. Save, for Horn's scream, which is one of the highlights of silent cinema and single-handedly sends the film to a whole new level of purely cinematic intensity.

I'll see Page of madnesa and Menilmontant in the next weeks. We'll see....

Oh, about Faust, I've never readed Faust, never seen other film. This was my first approach to the story, so I was virgin in that terms, lol, so I can't appreciate if the film is dependant or not of the literary source. But I guess the film has all the necessary to enchant me (you know I am a whore for the visuals, lol). I forgot the other day to mention the old make-up of Gösta Ekman, extraordinary work:




Another three:

The black pirate A film for the glory of Douglas Fairbkans. It's entertaining but not very good, I blame the director, Albert Parker, who didn't have the necessary range to do a film of this kind, he wasn't Raoul Walsh, Allan Dawn or even Fred Niblo, a director that I don't like very much but knew who to do an adventure film like this. Fairbanks, also doesn't shine, he is there doing his stuff and nothing more, and Donal Crisp (hilarious as the old McTavish) steals every escene they share together. Billie Dove is also there playing the character of suffering princess that falls in love with the black pirate, but the story doesn't have any deep and it's not very believable. I guess that if the film must be remembered is for the cinematography, that was filmed entirely in technicolor, althought The toll of the sea did that in 1922, and The phantom of the opera (the masquerade) and Stage struck (Swanson playing Salome) had escenes filmed also in technicolor.

The general I loved this, really, but I enjoyed much more other films of Keaton (Seven chances for example). This was in his line, funny and touching. I just don't have much more to add good or bad.

45 minutes from Hollywood Comedy short starring comedian Glenn Tryon that goes to Hollywood and is involved in a bank robbery. Another slapstick, has some funny moments but it's forgettable. Oliver Hardy appears as an Hotel detective and there are cameos of Theda Bara and Our Gang. It's on youtube:

[Jali]

Hans richter's Filmstudie:



Loved it!

[ldw]

Don't talk too fast! 1926 is another staggering year. You're in for a treat with "A Page of Madness" and "Ménilmontant".

The latter arguably contains the most powerful sequence in the history of cinema.

[McTeague]

Finally saw another of my film Holy Grails: The Wind (Sjostrom, 1928). Never available in Spain on VHS or DVD until just months ago, I had been around 15-20 years knowing this was one of my #1 cinephile priorities. All the copies I had found on the web, too, just didn’t have the quality I wanted for a film that had acquired, to me, the condition of an event.

The film is a masterpiece (more on that later) but, sadly, my original and recent DVD still doesn’t have the best possible quality, even though captions at the beginning inform you that the DVD has been made from the best copy available. Which makes me question the extent of the word “available”: Does it mean that, with their budget, they couldn’t pay for the rights of a restored copy, or does it mean, horror and huge scandal forever, that there is NO restored copy in the world? Is it possible that such a filmic milestone hasn’t been restored with modern techniques? Isn’t there a pristine copy of this landmark with a defined image and the contrasts in the right place? If so, what are Marty Scorsese and/or Criterion waiting for????

I’d thank any information on this regard, please! Does anybody know if all current, existing copies of “The Wind” are of poor quality? Does anybody know if there’s a restoration or at least a project for a restoration?

PS: Idw, which scene are you talking about? I'm thinking of at least 3 scenes of Menilmontant that fit that description!

[Jali]

I'll wait to see The wind. Can't wait to see the film.

I've seen more stuff, I am dedicating all my free time (work keesp me busy part of the day) to see silents, I just don't want to expent 6 or 7 months with 1926 like I did with 1925. Some quick thoughts:

Mother. Soviet film directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin, in the line of the best works of revolutionary propaganda. The Shakespearean story is about a young man whose revolutionarian thoughts ends in the killing of his father in a strike, while he is comdened to prison when her own mother, accidentally, gives to the soviets proves against him. The mother then understand the visionary fight of her son and tries to help him. This wasn't as powerful as Strike, but it was an interesting achievement of its own, and the final escenes captures pretty well the intemptions of the film. Much of the success is thanks to the performances, especially Vera Baranovskaya.

La bohème. Not a fan of La bohème so I saw this with low expectations, but thanks to King Vidor and John Gilbert this wasn't as painful as I thought. The film's better qualities are in the directing, the cinmeatography, the art directiong, costumes, etc that catch pretty well the pathetism of the characters and their lifes. Vidor reunites again Gilbert and Renée Adorée, althought Adorée has a minor role as Musette and she doesn't have much to do. Gilbert in the other hand, shines, I wasn't very fond of his work in The big parade, but here he shows a range of emotions that in other hands could have ended in a over the top and hammy performance. Lillian Gish... eww... First of all, i want to say that I LOVE HER, but almost all the silents performances I've seen from her are full of theater mannerisms, and La bohème isn't an exception, I guess she wasn't as natural as other actresses like Swanson, Shearer, the Talmadges, etc. But, saying a good thing about her in La bohème, I think she was very commited to the role, the escenes under the rain must have been dificult to film and exhausting for her, so Bravo for her.

The son of the Sheik Last film of Valentino, and probably his best performance. Not much difference with the original film of 1921, with the exception that Fitzmaurice directing is lovely and he knew who to use Vilma Bánky, it's impossible to not love her in this film. I was also very impressed with the old make-up of Valentino and Agnes Ayres. It's just strange than in 1926 people did a better make-up than in 2012? LMAO

Brown of Harvard Film for the glory of Harvard. Nothing more to add except that William Haines gives a powerful and emotional performance. Shames that his career ended because he was gay.

[McTeague]

I'll wait to see The wind. Can't wait to see the film.

I've seen more stuff, I am dedicating all my free time (work keesp me busy part of the day) to see silents, I just don't want to expent 6 or 7 months with 1926 like I did with 1925. Some quick thoughts:

Mother. Soviet film directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin, in the line of the best works of revolutionary propaganda. The Shakespearean story is about a young man whose revolutionarian thoughts ends in the killing of his father in a strike, while he is comdened to prison when her own mother, accidentally, gives to the soviets proves against him. The mother then understand the visionary fight of her son and tries to help him. This wasn't as powerful as Strike, but it was an interesting achievement of its own, and the final escenes captures pretty well the intemptions of the film. Much of the success is thanks to the performances, especially Vera Baranovskaya.

La bohème. Not a fan of La bohème so I saw this with low expectations, but thanks to King Vidor and John Gilbert this wasn't as painful as I thought. The film's better qualities are in the directing, the cinmeatography, the art directiong, costumes, etc that catch pretty well the pathetism of the characters and their lifes. Vidor reunites again Gilbert and Renée Adorée, althought Adorée has a minor role as Musette and she doesn't have much to do. Gilbert in the other hand, shines, I wasn't very fond of his work in The big parade, but here he shows a range of emotions that in other hands could have ended in a over the top and hammy performance. Lillian Gish... eww... First of all, i want to say that I LOVE HER, but almost all the silents performances I've seen from her are full of theater mannerisms, and La bohème isn't an exception, I guess she wasn't as natural as other actresses like Swanson, Shearer, the Talmadges, etc. But, saying a good thing about her in La bohème, I think she was very commited to the role, the escenes under the rain must have been dificult to film and exhausting for her, so Bravo for her.

Baranovskaya is my Best Actress winner (among the few movies I’ve seen from this year so far). I strongly disagree on Gish (in general, I haven’t seen La Boheme). Yes, she has many early-silent-days mannerisms that can feel over-the-top, but damn if she was not incredibly expressive and could define a character better than most. Plus, I think she’s usually very, very subtle most of the time. Only in the most intense scenes she does this silent thing of opening the eyes a lot and waving the hands, but in quieter scenes she’s able to convey incredibly complex emotions in a very realistic way and more expressively than most. I adore her. This same year she has Sjostrom’s “The Scarlet Letter”, where you’ll find she was subtle and wonderful. Or so I hope!

[McTeague]

I was browsing my own lists, and I've realised how little there is from 1926 that I haven't seen but REALLY want to see. Like, La Boheme, What Price Glory and Nana are the only ones I'm excited about. I'll also watch The Black Pirate, Son of the Sheik and Secrets of a Soul, but it's not like I'm daying to do so, precisely. I guess there's more I could see that could surprise me, but I feel I'm more interested in rewatching The General, Faust and The Mother.

[Jali]

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

[McTeague]

Hahaha, I know. I told you you were in for a treat with 1926! (pity there's so little that looks exciting beyond a more or less clear Top 10!).

[Timmer]

Glad you liked The Wind McT, it's my favourite Gish film, it's the first time she felt like a woman and not a girl to me. Her performance... wow.

[McTeague]

Glad you liked The Wind McT, it's my favourite Gish film, it's the first time she felt like a woman and not a girl to me. Her performance... wow.

But don't you know if there's a restored copy?

[Buster]

Even though I own the blu-ray, I couldn't resist seeing Sunrise again on the big screen last week at AFI fest. In retrospect, I probably should've resisted, as the focus was awful, and in a film of such striking visuals, this was unforgivable. I'm assuming it was a 35mm print, which was the final straw in my (once reluctant) embrace of digital projection. By far the worst projection of the fest, and for it to be with Murnau's masterpiece is just ... so WRONG. (Just like Gaynor's hair in that.)

[Timmer]

But don't you know if there's a restored copy?

No idea, I watched it years ago on VHS!

[McTeague]

IMDb now moves "Flesh and the Devil" to 1927, messing my 1926 Top 10. Did anybody else have it in 1926 like I did? (IMDb says it opened in January in the US, so I guess the 1926 date was the completion and registry date).

[David Giancarlo]

IMDb now moves "Flesh and the Devil" to 1927, messing my 1926 Top 10. Did anybody else have it in 1926 like I did? (IMDb says it opened in January in the US, so I guess the 1926 date was the completion and registry date).

Yeah, I did, and Garbo was my best actress winner! Now she'll have to lose to Gaynor.

[Jali]

Garbo has another film in 1926, The temptress.

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?sor...year=1926,1926

[Dally]

I like Garbo in The Temptress a lot!

So, I'm watching The Rag Man and 30 minutes in, I'm all, "I've seen this." LOL. Coogan's fucking haircut drives me INSANE.

[Timmer]

Criticker has Flesh and the Devil as 1926

[McTeague]

Criticker has Flesh and the Devil as 1926

Yeah with a January 1927 release date it has to be registered as a 1926 production, but I still go with release date (IMDb date) because that way you can compare your wonderful lineups with the shitty lineups AMPAS comes up with.

And, Garbo is far from being the best actress of 1926, at least for F&tD!

[McTeague]

La bohème. Not a fan of La bohème so I saw this with low expectations, but thanks to King Vidor and John Gilbert this wasn't as painful as I thought. The film's better qualities are in the directing, the cinmeatography, the art directiong, costumes, etc that catch pretty well the pathetism of the characters and their lifes. Vidor reunites again Gilbert and Renée Adorée, althought Adorée has a minor role as Musette and she doesn't have much to do. Gilbert in the other hand, shines, I wasn't very fond of his work in The big parade, but here he shows a range of emotions that in other hands could have ended in a over the top and hammy performance. Lillian Gish... eww... First of all, i want to say that I LOVE HER, but almost all the silents performances I've seen from her are full of theater mannerisms, and La bohème isn't an exception, I guess she wasn't as natural as other actresses like Swanson, Shearer, the Talmadges, etc. But, saying a good thing about her in La bohème, I think she was very commited to the role, the escenes under the rain must have been dificult to film and exhausting for her, so Bravo for her.

Saw it, and couldn’t disagree more. Gilbert, who was really, really good in “The Big Parade” and “The Merry Widow” in 1925, is very hammy here, lol. It’s all about The Gish, plz. As always, Gish has some moments of strong theatricality, but, as always too, in the quieter moments she’s just leagues above her peers, being able to reflect the slightest emotions in her face. She’s just in a class of her own, and there are very few I can compare her to (maybe only Hideko Takamine) in the strange ability she has by which everything that happens in her heart or head seems to have a correlation in her face, and you seem to be always exposed to everything of her inner life. When the more dramatic moments come and the big theatrics appears, yes, she’s as mannered as every other silent actress, but she’s more effective because she’s been so pitch-perfect before and she’s linked you so effectively to her character’s emotions. Plus, she always looks so fragile that it’s more heartbreaking to see her suffer, lol. I was loosing it here in the final act when she’s starting to suffer big time. And don’t bring the Swansons and Talmadges as a comparison: the lighter fare they used to do was more favourable to a natural performance. The most dramatic scenes in silent films were always played with big theatrics.

But acting aside, I agree that Vidor is the biggest star here and that the movie is really good, solid and moving mainly thanks to him. The bohemian atmosphere is indeed perfectly captured in the sets and the way of illuminating and filming them, and Vidor creates many expressive shots (especially during the climax as Mimi unravels). He achieves a great sense of time and place and he’s also very tasteful with the emotions. There are few close-ups until the final act, and they become more effective thanks to it.

I expected it to be a solid minor classic, and it is, but it’s also a very special, moving one.