Wednesday, December 14, 2011

silents


i have been watching a very long (12 discs) documentary on the history of silent film. interestingly, this fascinating period of cinema lasted only about 15 years. i have preferred the beauty of silent films since discovering them two years ago. i took one night away from this terrifically detailed bbc series (beautifully narrated by james mason) to watch chaplin's masterpiece 'city lights.'

i loved it more than any other time i'd seen it. chaplin is so touching. he refused to film a comedic scene if it did not contain logic. both chaplin and keaton never worked from a script. i could go on and on, i have learned so much from the series. suffice to say, silent films are treasures that spoke an international language. so many of them are deeply worth the experience.

2 comments:

Bryan Rutt said...

I am a huge fan of silent films. I often prefer them to modern cinematic fare, and I have made a point to share the joy of silent film with others. Some get it, some don't (sort of like jazz).

What is the 12-disc series you are watching? I would love to see it as well!

pal shazar said...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080230/

i found it through an individual seller. i am sure you can too. it is just an amazingly interesting series.