Silent Movies

[Mattashell]

Hi all, I will be reviewing some films. I don't wish to be posessive of this thread, so if you see a silent film you'd like to review, go ahead and put it up, or talkback. You can talk about my reviews or put up your own or whatever.


Today I'm reviewing The Mark of Zorrow (1920). Directed by Fred Niblo starring Douglas Fairbanks, based on the book, The Curse of Capistrano, by Johnston McCulley.

This is one of those films that use tinting to ad atmosphere to the black and white film. Red tint for indoors and blue for outdoors during nighttime scenes, and the opposite for day scenes. Since color did not become comon for quite a while after the silent age, I wonder why talkies abandoned this technique.

While I admit that the film feels primitive it is fascinating to watch a formula develop that still is strong today, and the film spends an adiquate time devoloping characters while delivering plenty of action.

I'm not really well aqauainted with the legnd of Zorro or it's source, but I can tell you this is basically a resetting of the Robin Hood myth, with swashbuckling replacing arching, a rougue noble defending the opressed peasants from a corrupt official and his right hand man who is, of course, competing for the hand of the object of our heroes affection, but there are certain added elements. These elements are interesting from our standpoint, because new legends have formed from them, legends that are very popular still today.

Our hero is a masked vigilante, perhaps the first. Robin Hood made no secret of his identity, and Marian knew exactly who he was, as did his enemies. Here, Zorro and his alter ego, Don Diego Vega, court Lolita (played by Marguerite De La Motte), she is repelled by Vega, but in love with Zorro, not realizing this was the same man. This was one of the most famous running themes of Superman's myth, as well as one that has appeared in Batman's life with more than one love interest. The first Superman comic book was still at least fifteen years coming at the time of the making of this film. Zorro's enemies tell stories of him, they say he can kreep up like a "graveyard ghost" and disapear as quickly. They say he can change his shape and enter buildings through keyholes. These superstitions are very similar to the gotham underworld's view of the Batman. Like Bruce Wayne, Vega is a playboy and heir to a fortune. Like Prince Adam, He is more interested in frivilous distractions, in this case parlor tricks, than manly things, much to the disapointment of his father and others. I am unaware weather Don is a name or a title, as I don't now how well Corsican culture resembles Sicillian. This tale is the link that bridges Robin Hood to the modern, dual identity hero. I should point out, that according to Frank Miller, this was the film Wayne went to see with his parents the evening they were murdered. Obviously he was drawing a connection. (Bob Kane was alegedly inspired by The Bat (1926) , yet that film was about a master thief and murderer. I'd like to review it here, I saw it a few years ago.)

There is some delightful physical comedy in the begining from Captain Ramon (played by Robert McKim), an arrogant blowhard who can never quite seem to back up his boasts, and from Zorro who, throughout, is constantly laughing right up in people's faces. I hope he hasn't been dining on garlic. The swashbuckling is fantastic, and even with todays flashy action picks, I was cought up in it.

I recomend this film to someone who is put off by silents for fear of boredom. It is a great entry point into the silent world of film. I admire silents, especially for the actors' talents for expressing without the use of voice, and this one was very impressive in that respect. Great subtle, yet exagerated gesture and expression from the entire cast.

Out of five stars, I give The Mark of Zorro four and a half (****1/2).

[Mattashell]

Today's review is The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) Directed by Wallace Worsley, srarring Lon Chaney, based on the book, Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo.

The film is not tinted, and the sountrack has asymphonic score and sound effects dubbed in rather than a simple piano or organ track. The Hunch back of Notre Dame takes place in Renaissance Paris, and it centers on a woman, Esmerelda (Patsy Ruth Miller) who is torn between the worlds of two social classes. She is the foster daughter of Clopin (Ernest Torrence), the King of Beggers, and the object of effection of the arriscratic captain, Phoebus (Norman Kerry) and the dastardly scoundrel, Jehan (Brandon Hurst. The star of the film is Chaney, "The man of a thousand faces" as Quasimotto, the titular hunchback.

The plot is complex and takes many twists and turns through its course. The gothic cinematography is breathtaking and make-up ahead of its time. Check out Quasimodo's hairy back during his lashing. Chaney is a master of motion, as a cripple that moves like a cat, and the scenes of him ringing the cathedral bells is truely a site to behold. The film is packed with drama, action comedy and clorful characters who also include Jehan's brother, the pious Don Claudio (Nigel De Brulier) and the effeminate street poet, Gringoire (Raymond Hatton) as well as one very angry mob, and it delivers more than one message.

If you don't know the story, I'd rather not recap the plot here because it would be better not to spoil it. I loved this movie, it is one of the best silent films I've ever seen. I give it five stars out of five (*****). I would not reccomend this movie to someone new to the silent format, because of its complex plot. See a few simpler silent films to get used to it first, then check this gem out.

[Zoddman]

Pretty good reviews, mattashell! And yes, the Douglas Fairbanks Zorro is the film 8-year old Bruce Wayne saw with his parents the night they were murdered.

Hunchback of Notre Dame was pretty good. I'm a big fan of the Victor Hugo novel, so a few of the changes were knid of irritating, like making Jehan the villain instead of the corrupted priest Frollo. The happy ending also seemed very tacked on, because the Phoebus of the book didn't care about Esmeralda at all, he just saw her as a sexual plaything, to be thrown away when he was done with her.

Now review Cabinet of Dr. Caligari!

[spectre316]

I've recently got into the Buster Keaton films... that guy is a genius. Chaplin's "City Lights" is just amazing as well. I know I'm talking about some of the most popular forms of silent entertainment (in today's world, anyway), but what entertainment it is...

[Simpler Simon]

I LOVE the Mark of Zorro!!! The first time I saw it was when they were running all the old Zorro movies to help promote "The Mask of Zorro" in 1998, and I thought it was fantastic. I actually even place it above the Tyrone Power remake, which is also an amazing movie. I always thought the tinting was due to film deterioration, and not an actual technique that they used. Interesting!

Originally posted by Mattashell
I am unaware weather Don is a name or a title, as I don't now how well Corsican culture resembles Sicillian.

I'm pretty sure it's a title for a wealthy landowner. Zorro's alter-ego is Don Diego De La Vega, and his father's name is Don Alajandaro De La Vega. As well, in The Mask of Zorro, they make reference to getting all the dons together as part of the scheme to buy back California with the gold.

[Mattashell]

The silent movies thread is back from the dead. (hey that rhymes ) Between my last post and now I watched The Birth of a Nation (1915), but I won't review it. One reason is that I found its politics so offensive that I don't believe I can fairly review it. The other reason is that IMDb has its runtime listed as "190 min (16 fps)" while the version I saw clocked in at ninety minutes. That said, I can only recoment the presedential assassination scene. Otherwise, I don't wish to discuss it further.

Remember you can discuss or review any silent movie you've seen here, even ones I've already reviewed. I'd love to compair notes.

Today I will review Metropolis (1927). Directed by Fritz Lang, starring Alfred Abel, based on the book by Thea von Harbou.

The version I saw was not tinted and had a dubbed symphonic score, rather than a piano or organ track which I prefer. In a ultra-industrial, class divided metropolis, a young aristocrat, Johhan Fredersen (Abel) falls in love with the leader of an underground freedom movement, Maria (Brigitte Helm) and for the first time in his shelterd life visits a place of labor where he witnesses an accident which causes death and injury to several workers. Meanwhile Johhan's father, Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), who is the "Master" of Metropolis, pays an inventor named Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) to build a robot in the likeness of Maria to replace her and insite a riot, in order for him to have an excuse to use violence against them and replace them with cheaper robot workers. By now Johhan, who has been living as a worker, meets up with Maria who has finally escaped from Rotwang. But the rioting workers realise they've been duped and attempt to lynch Maria, who they believe mislead them.

This is an extremely influantial film inspiring visuals in films like Blade Runner, Brazil and many others. It may be one of the first movies to use models and mattes, and the only flaw in the amazing visuals is the deterioration of the film stock itself. The story is actually quite simple to follow and it definitely has a message. The politics of the film are surprisingly pro-communist for Germany in the late 20s.

Osamu Tezuka said that he had only heard about the film Metropolis but not actually seen it when he wrote his graphic novel of the same name. Yet surprisingly many concepts find thier way into it. It should be noticed that the animated feature based on the graphic novel seems to borrow more liberally from Lang's Metropolis than the source material did.

I ca not stress how beautiful this masterpiece is. A work of art. I give it five stars out of five. (*****)

[sKorpia]

If you've seen Birth of a Nation, maybe you should watch Broken Blossoms too. It's by the same guy. That way you can give me your take on whether or not he's trying to apologize or if he's running the same vein.

[Mattashell]

Now review Cabinet of Dr. Caligari!

If you've seen Birth of a Nation, maybe you should watch Broken Blossoms too. It's by the same guy. That way you can give me your take on whether or not he's trying to apologize or if he's running the same vein.

Right now I'm working through a stack of tapes a friend lent me. I'm honered to get requests, but they will wait untill I'm finished with the movies I've got here already.


Today's review is Sunrise (1927). Directed by F.W. Murnau, starring George O'Brien, based on the story, Die Reise Nach Tilsit, by Hermann Sudermann.

The version I saw was not tinted and had a dubbed symphonic score, rather than a piano or organ track which I prefer. Sound effects were added as well, including people cheering and shouting. I feel it really takes from the atmosphere. Here's a funny note, due to the changing of film aspect ratios over the years, this film is actually presented in narrow-screen. That's right, black bars apear on the sides of the screen instead of the top and bottom. A married farmer (O'Brien) has an afair with a woman (Margaret Livingston) from "The City" on an extended summer vacation. She convinces him to carry out a murder plot against his wife (Janet Gaynor). When the moment arrives, the man (none of the characters have names) can not carry out the deed, and soon the couple discover thier love all over again.

I found the plot as it starts out to be a trashy one a la tabloid fodder such as Susan Smith and Amy Fisher, but I suppose even Shakespere wrote stories along these lines so what can I say?

Once it reaches the day/night on the town sequence, the story grinds to a halt, and the movie really doesn't know wether it wants to be a melodrama or a comedy.

The film was very pretty, especially the on-the-water scenes which must have been difficult to shoot in those days. I very much injoyed the scene with a dog, and a later scene with a cute pig (with a taste for fine wine).

The most enertaining aspect of this film was as a time capsule. We get a rare look at the pre-depression rouring 20's. A time often over shadowed, in our history books, by what was to come. The most fascinating part being scenes of horse-drawn and horseless carrages sharing the city streets. I might add that it looked like people were reckless drivers in those days.

This film is famous for its special effects. the use of overlaying (I don't know if that's what it's called) scenes was nothing new at the time, but it was used very cleverly to create "ghost" images in a scene. In one bit, we see a couple walking and the background suddenly changes from urban to rural and back to urban. It looked like a modern bluescreen effect, and I can't figure how they did it, unless the actors were standing in front of a projection on a movie screen. If that was the case, then I don't know how they made it look crisp as they did, since usually there would be a noticable difference in quality. Finally, a realistic storm was created toward the end. An admiral job done well ahead of its time.

Despite all the good things I can say about this film, it was overacted, the comedy was not effective, and for a large portion of it, the plot went nowhere. There was an awful lot of crying, and we were a little too sympathetic with the male lead to forgive him when he was about to kill his wife for completely selfish reasons. But the biggest problem is it was slow moving and boring. I do not recomend this film for entertainment. If you're curious about the history of SFX in films, this might be a movie to watch. The cinematography was excellent, and you may wish to study it for that purpose. And if your curious about city culture of the 1920's then I would definitely recomend it. But it's not really a great movie when you break it down. **1/2