Last week, I watched the first silent movie in my life -Nanook of the North.Guess what, if I were not required to finish my homework, I probably would not watch it. Usually, when I heard about silent movies, my first impression of them would be boring. However, it changed my mind .It’s pretty interesting because it is so different from the movies we watched nowadays. I am curious and did some research on silent movies
What is silent movie? It is a film without any synchronized recorded sound and the dialogue is usually transmitted by actors’ gestures, pantomime and title cards.The first narrative film was created by Louis Le Prince in 1888 .It is called Roundhay Garden Scene. It was the world’s earliest surviving film. It talks about people walking around the roundhay garden.
Of course, when comparing with the movies nowadays, they can be less appealing. However, at that time, they are great entertainments for people .A lot people like watching them. Some of them earned the ever highest income in film industry .
One is the most popular one –The birth of the Nation (1915) .There are two parts inside the story--Pre-Civil War America and reconstruction. ( I think we watch a little part of the movie during the class .Personally ,I think it is pretty funny and hilarious .We can tell the body movement and facial expression are kind of exaggerate .Probably , they want to make the audience understand easily .
Another popular silent movie is called The Big Parade, which is produced in 1986. The background of the story is around World War I.A rich boy ,James, joined the US Army regardless of the displeasure of his rich business father .He makes some friends via the training camp , however , all of them are attracted to the pretty lady ,Melisande. And then they fell in love after all challenges but with a happy ending.
Another popular silent movie - Ben-Hur (1925)That was also the second film which the story is based on novel.
Its a story related to race or christ.
Now , i have another thinking towards silent movies .Silent movies may not be boring .Without silent movies , we may not have the movies nowadays ,as movies were being developed steps by steps .Silent movies maybe a stepping stone towards the success of modern movies.And now , watching back those movies , i find out that they are a sort of ARTS ,which it is special in its own way .No doubt , i think its hard to understand sometimes without the dialouges .However , if i pay more attention to the movies and try to guess .I find out may not be as difficult as i think .
(Image from :http://movieposters.2038.net/p/Nanook-Of-The-North.jpg
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