Silent Film

[DeadliestPoison]

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[amber]

I think you should watch "It", (http://rottentomatoes.pricegrabber.com/search_videos.php/form_contribid=1001698) but you won't, so cabinet sounds really good. You have to find it in a store? Yipes. I would just go to one and browse till I found something that looked good.

[dissention]

Don't know what type of film you're really looking for, but The Unknown with Joan Crawford and Lon Chaney from 1927 is one of my favorites. It's written and directed by Todd Browning, the guy who made Freaks, and only runs for about an hour. I would imagine Metropolis is too long for a class and it's hard to find a real quality copy.

[ryan8472]

I was going to say just watch TGG with Robert Redford, but then I saw it has to be a film from that period. Try a Charlie Chaplin film. :nod: I did the same kind of unit when I read TGG, and it was pretty cool I guess. I got a really weird vibe from the book itself though. :shrug:

[Serrart]

So. I need to find a silent film to watch over the weekend, preferably from the 20s. In English, we're reading the Great Gatsby and we're going to have a "Roaring 20's Party." Laaaame. But the class got split up into groups to do research for it, and we're going to present what we learned and all. My group got film.

In Theory of Knowledge, I have to do something that I "normally wouldn't do" and write a paper on it connecting to to aesthetics. Watch a foreign film, go to an art museum, whatever.

So I decided that I'd might as well kill two birds with one stone and go for a film from the 20s (around then... it'd probably be okay if it were from, like, 1918-1929, though). The problem is... there are so many and I can't really decide. I've had reccomendations of Metropolis, I've seen Hunchback of Notre Dame, Nosferatu's been done before. I have a strange interest in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

The only catch is it needs to be something available in stores, since Blockbuster hates me and I need it by Monday (I found out about it today, so don't pull the procrastinator card :P) and therefore can't get it online. I figured I could ask you guys, since you all seem pretty up-to-snuff with this type of thing, particularly David.

So. Any recommendations? :laugh:

Murnau strucks me deeply so even if you'd already seen Nosferatu, I'd recommend Sunrise, that is always a fulfilling, incredible strong experience to watch.
Then I'd say:
Napoleon by Abel Gance
Battleship Potemkin by Eisenstein
La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc by Dreyer
Nana by Jean Renoir
The Crowd by King Vidor
Nanook by Robert Flaherty
Le coquille et le clergyman by Germaine Pulac (a personal favourite, but very very difficult to be found so...)
Man With The Movie Camera by Dziga Vertov
A propos De Nice By Jean Vigo
Tartuffe by Murnau :D
The Wedding March/The Honeymoon by Von Stroheim
... and so on

Romy

[belladonna.]

so.. the great gatsby was a good book

[Serrart]

Aiiieee. I forgot one of my favourite films. Don't waste your time with Keaton's rubbish in that case, it's only good for an example of that particular genre which I thought might perhaps be more accessible in a video store. Battleship Potemkin however is brilliant.

I love Keaton too, he's a genius, like Chaplin (can't really choose among them). They should have worked together more, I loved Keaton's cameo in Limelights

Romy

[dissention]

La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc by Dreyer

Oh, I love that one. Blows any other take on Joan of Arc out of the water. I love how Dreyer didn't let any of the actors wear makeup.

[amber]

I love Keaton too, he's a genius, like Chaplin (can't really choose among them). They should have worked together more, I loved Keaton's cameo in Limelights

Romy
*sigh* Why does he have to watch one of the Superclassics? Can't he just watch "It"? And the rest of you, watch "It", too!!! :D I promise, you'll never see eyes like that again! :laugh:

[dissention]

I was going to say just watch TGG with Robert Redford, but then I saw it has to be a film from that period. Try a Charlie Chaplin film. :nod: I did the same kind of unit when I read TGG, and it was pretty cool I guess. I got a really weird vibe from the book itself though. :shrug:

Have you seen the remake of Gatsby with Mira Sorvino? Oh, the horror. I'm surprised I'm not blind.

[amber]

Have you seen the remake of Gatsby with Mira Sorvino? Oh, the horror. I'm surprised I'm not blind.
To me, all the film Gatsby's are horrors. I really, really, love that book, is why....mmmmm, books...is there anything better? NO! :)

[amber]

I ended up going with "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." I had to pick between the only ones I could find -- Metropolis, a boxset of Chaplin's films, Caligari, or Nosferatu. I would have gone with Metropolis, had it been a liiiittle less money.

I really dug Caligari. I'm not really one for silent film, but I must say - it was awesome. Incredible scenery, especially for being only paper. The colorizing was a little garish in places (that blue... ugh), but overall I was pretty impressed. I might check out a few of the others you guys mentioned sometime soon :D
Good Show! :thumbsup: You should still watch "It" though... :D

[dissention]

To me, all the film Gatsby's are horrors. I really, really, love that book, is why....mmmmm, books...is there anything better? NO! :)

Oh, yeah, the original Gatsby film is atrocious, too, but this one was horrifying to watch. It almost made me cancel my cable just to spite A&E. :laugh:

Speaking of books, have you read The Handmaid's Tale? I went to the bookstore today and bought it; it's faaaaaaaabulous. Why have I never read it before? :laugh:

[amber]

Oh, yeah, the original Gatsby film is atrocious, too, but this one was horrifying to watch. It almost made me cancel my cable just to spite A&E. :laugh:

Speaking of books, have you read The Handmaid's Tale? I went to the bookstore today and bought it; it's faaaaaaaabulous. Why have I never read it before? :laugh:
I've read all of Margaret Atwood but that one. I have a serious MA collection. (scorpio).
I didn't like it much. (wait, I guess that means I've read it...actually, I think I browsed it and decided "no") My favorite is "The Robber Bride" sooo good. I don't like the dry style of HMT, compared to her usual. :shrug:

[dissention]

I ended up going with "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." I had to pick between the only ones I could find -- Metropolis, a boxset of Chaplin's films, Caligari, or Nosferatu. I would have gone with Metropolis, had it been a liiiittle less money.

I really dug Caligari. I'm not really one for silent film, but I must say - it was awesome. Incredible scenery, especially for being only paper. The colorizing was a little garish in places (that blue... ugh), but overall I was pretty impressed. I might check out a few of the others you guys mentioned sometime soon :D

You must do some research before getting Metropolis, there are so many different cuts out there that it's absurd. The Giorgio Moroder cut is especial vomit-inducing. :laugh:

[dissention]

I've read all of Margaret Atwood but that one. I have a serious MA collection. (scorpio).
I didn't like it much. (wait, I guess that means I've read it...actually, I think I browsed it and decided "no") My favorite is "The Robber Bride" sooo good. I don't like the dry style of HMT, compared to her usual. :shrug:

I'm not a big Atwood fan, but I picked this one up and loved it. The more I read it, though, the more I think I've seen a movie version of it. Faye Dunaway keeps racing through my mind, for some reason. In any case, it sure is original and freaky. Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come or else women will have more to worry about than not having being allowed to have abortions. :eek: :laugh:

[amber]

I'm not a big Atwood fan, but I picked this one up and loved it. The more I read it, though, the more I think I've seen a movie version of it. Faye Dunaway keeps racing through my mind, for some reason. In any case, it sure is original and freaky. Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come or else women will have more to worry about than not having being allowed to have abortions. :eek: :laugh:
yeah, Faye Dunaway was in the movie. You're right. I totally remember when that came out. You're not an Atwood fan? geez. But of course...

[dissention]

yeah, Faye Dunaway was in the movie. You're right. I totally remember when that came out. You're not an Atwood fan? geez. But of course...

I like her poetry much more than her novels. :nod: I'll have to get the movie and see it again, I looked it up on IMDB and it's got quite a cast. I've been on a big Virginia Woolf and Michael Cunningham kick lately, and I've been reading a lot of Barabara Ehrenreich, too.

[strandinthewind]

"Birth of a Nation" is spellbinding in its brutal portrayal of the Civil War and D.W. Griffith at his finest - many a director to this day copies his inventive and brilliant new appraoch to filming established in the film.

For much lighter fare but very symbolic of the era - I like "Don't Change Your Husband" and "Male and Female," which have Swanson directed by DeMille.

For sheer brilliance, rent Swanson's "Sadie Thompson" - but it is only a partial copy or Swanson's Queen Kelly - which even unfinished is still brilliant most due to Von Stroheim's brilliant but sadistic direction as he also did in "The Wedding March."

If you can get a copy of "The Wind" - you will see Gish in one of her finest portrayals.

Also, all of the above are really good as well.

[dissention]

For sheer brilliance, rent Swanson's "Sadie Thompson" - but it is only a partial copy or Swanson's Queen Kelly - which even unfinished is still brilliant most due to Von Stroheim's brilliant but sadistic direction as he also did in "The Wedding March."

I could never watch that one again after seeing Rain. That's the definitive Sadie Thompson film for me. :nod:

[amber]

I like her poetry much more than her novels. :nod: I'll have to get the movie and see it again, I looked it up on IMDB and it's got quite a cast. I've been on a big Virginia Woolf and Michael Cunningham kick lately, and I've been reading a lot of Barabara Ehrenreich, too.
Poetry? hehehehe...well, that's good, I guess. I don't read poetry in my spare time...Did you happen to read robber bride? Actually, i guess Atwood is very much a "chick author"

[amber]

"Birth of a Nation" is spellbinding in its brutal portrayal of the Civil War and D.W. Griffith at his finest - many a director to this day copies his inventive and brilliant new appraoch to filming established in the film.

For much lighter fare but very symbolic of the era - I like "Don't Change Your Husband" and "Male and Female," which have Swanson directed by DeMille.

For sheer brilliance, rent Swanson's "Sadie Thompson" - but it is only a partial copy or Swanson's Queen Kelly - which even unfinished is still brilliant most due to Von Stroheim's brilliant but sadistic direction as he also did in "The Wedding March."

If you can get a copy of "The Wind" - you will see Gish in one of her finest portrayals.

Also, all of the above are really good as well.
Blah Blah Swanson Clara Bow kicks her ass...Both leos, though... :wavey: BUT - Swanson has worked with better directors...

[dissention]

Poetry? hehehehe...well, that's good, I guess. I don't read poetry in my spare time...Did you happen to read robber bride? Actually, i guess Atwood is very much a "chick author"

No, I haven't. Maybe I'll check it out after I finish this one. But if I read Oprah's book club selections, I must not have a problem with chick lit. :lol:

[amber]

No, I haven't. Maybe I'll check it out after I finish this one. But if I read Oprah's book club selections, I must not have a problem with chick lit. :lol:
Robber Bride is awesomely wicked.

[Serrart]

To me, all the film Gatsby's are horrors. I really, really, love that book, is why....mmmmm, books...is there anything better? NO! :)

Yes... chocolate :cool:

Romy

[Serrart]

"Birth of a Nation" is spellbinding in its brutal portrayal of the Civil War and D.W. Griffith at his finest - many a director to this day copies his inventive and brilliant new appraoch to filming established in the film.

I still prefer Intolerance, but they're both masterpieces. :thumbsup:

Romy

[strandinthewind]

Blah Blah Swanson Clara Bow kicks her ass...Both leos, though... :wavey: BUT - Swanson has worked with better directors...

Swanson had been a star for at least 10 years prior to Bow and Swanson was an Aries.

I di dlove Bow though :cool:

[amber]

Swanson had been a star for at least 10 years prior to Bow and Swanson was an Aries.

I di dlove Bow though :cool:
Sorry, I had read she was a Leo. :sorry: And I know she had a better career. I just don't think she had better eyes... :D Swanson is very good, I'm sure, the only problem i have with her is that i think she is fugly, and I don't really connect with her. But that is certainly a very subjective argument in light of her career achievements. :nod:

[dissention]

Just thought I'd say that I hate Birth Of A Nation. Indeed.

Tell me about it. It's ****ing torturous to sit through. I've only seen the two hour version and not the epic three hour one, too. I can only imagine what a horror that one is.

[Serrart]

Just thought I'd say that I hate Birth Of A Nation. Indeed.

Why?

Romy