Within a decade after the release of the first film featuring 'talkies,' The Jazz Singer (1927), silent films were virtually extinct. But why? People enjoyed listening to what they were seeing- which I totally get. Perhaps its because the roles have virtually been switched: silent films are cool today in 2013, in the same way that talkies were the hot new entertainment in 1927.
There is something to be said for the enormous talent that is required by the actors of silent film. Take Charlie Chaplin for example- the viewers (of all ages) were able "get" the message of Chaplin's films just by the actions he did, expressions he made and gestures he included with his 'silent dialogue.' Lon Chaney was also able to terrify audiences without words or sound just by his costume, actions and expressions. This one is beautiful; one of my all-time favorites. Sometimes I find myself stuck watching a film where I wish it was silent... I personally think that this day in age, there are actors and actresses that posses absolutely no talent whatsoever. I know that to revert back to silent films is sort of a small huge leap back.
That's why I appreciate the [recent] film, The Artist starring Berenice Bejo, Jean Dujardin & Uggie the dog. so much. It took a huge leap of faith to make a completely silent film in the era of technology we live in today, but luckily they were acknowledged and recognized by The Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their achievements.
We have come such a long way from the conception of cinema, and it is something that those of us desiring to enter into the field should look forward to as well as be proud of. However, I believe that life before sound is something we should cherish and look to as inspiration for truly great works of art.
Here's a still from the 2011 film, The Artist.
I think we all know this guy was the real star of the film, though.
Nice little article you wrote. I agree with you about why silent films went the way of the dodo. In the 1920's, the ability to actually hear what was going on in the film was a rare novelty that caught on. I do agree with you that there is still something to appreciate about the silent era stars. We have to remember that, first and foremost, film is a visual medium. We need to be able to see the action more than we need to hear it. People like Chaplin and Chaney relied on physicality and expressions to convey the story. I think either method has the potential to work perfectly when done the right way, such as The Artist.
ReplyDeleteGood post. This reminds me of my first blog. I talked about how films without sound were so different and cool because the actors needed to rely on showing emotions with only their body and facial expressions. I agree that they were extremely talented in doing this. I had no idea about this new silent film but I think it’s a cool idea to do. Maybe the actors in it had a more difficult time showing emotions because they have used their voices to do this their whole acting career.
ReplyDeleteYou just earned $15 million dollers with this post Callie ;-). I loved how you talked about the talent that it took to make a great silent film. A lot of actors nowadays can hide their expressions through their words but true actors don't need words! Charlie Chaplin was the king of expressions! We really have come a long way in movies today but there is nothing like going backwords in time and watching actors act without speaking! That is TRUE TALENT!
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