FILM HISTORY, PART TWO
1902-1927: "Silent" Film
It's important to note that the term "silent film" is a bit misleading. These films didn't, of course, have pre-recorded sound; but they were definitely not silent. Live music would be played in theaters (often composed specifically for the film) by pianists or even full orchestras. Some films featured live narrators or actors standing to the sides of the screen to deliver dialogue or exposition. They would often feature, as well, live sound effects like horns honking or breaking glass. Filmmakers and theaters were very creative with their use of sound to increase the entertainment value or enhance the tone of their short films.
In 1896, an inventor and illusionist named Georges Melies attended a Lumiere exhibition and was fascinated by their moving pictures. After learning how their cinematographe worked, he built his own and started making his own filmmaking company called Star Films. His earliest films were very much like the ones he'd seen from the Lumiere's, but Melies' background as a magician led him to discover and incorporate special effects (trick photography). This made his films much more visually entertaining than his competition. However, the films were still very short and lacked any kind of real story.
By 1902, though, Melies realized the possibilities of film to tell a story and to show audiences things that didn't exist in real life. He also understood that he could trust his audience to follow a complex and much longer story. So, he began releasing fictional narrative films -- most notably his 1902 masterpiece, "Voyage dans la Lune" (A Trip to the Moon) below. Notice the transitions, the elaborate special effects, and the fact that this film sets the pattern for most science fiction films to come (compare it's story, for example, to James Cameron's Avatar).
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This film was so successful and gained so much attention that Edison's film company had to respond to keep competing. So, in 1903, Edison hired Edwin S. Porter to create a fictional narrative film using the same new techniques as Melies. Porter's "The Great Train Robbery" ended up taking what Melies had done even further by introducing camera movement, cross cutting, and a clear social theme (in 1903, Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch" were actually robbing banks and trains in the western United States -- this film isn't really a "western," it's current events).
Films like these may not seem that great when we look at them diachronically (across time) with our modern eyes; but when you imagine them synchronically (in the same time) the way 1902-3 audiences would have seen them, it should be clear how amazing they were. They were the foundation of every movie we watch today.
From 1903 to 1921, the majority of popular American film, though, was physical comedy. Filmmakers quickly realized that comedy made money and was relatively easy to do without dialogue. Stars like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin became famous for their amazing physical comedy and slapstick stunt work with minimal stories to set up the stunts.
From 1903 to 1921, the majority of popular American film, though, was physical comedy. Filmmakers quickly realized that comedy made money and was relatively easy to do without dialogue. Stars like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin became famous for their amazing physical comedy and slapstick stunt work with minimal stories to set up the stunts.
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In 1921, Charlie Chaplin made THE KID. It's the film that made him a true star and created the modern standard. The film, rather than just focusing on the physical comedy, has a complex, dramatic story, real emotions, and relatable characters. It also features quality acting, modern camera techniques, and a social theme. Chaplin wrote, directed, and starred in the film, but he also composed the film's score (played live in theaters). Watch the entire film below:
Chaplain, and filmmakers like F. W. Murnau (see the film below, if you'd like) took silent film to its highest levels. Murnau's film, Sunrise: a Song of Two Humans (the last great silent film), was so good, in fact, that it prompted the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the first Academy Awards. But, sound was coming to film, and that would lead to irreversible change. The era of silent film would be over in 1927.