Silent Films

[Albino Boo]

I've just pre-ordered the "definitive" edition (marketing speak for most complete version available) of Metropolis (Lang 1926) on blu ray with a snazzy metal box and assorted other crap. In my opinion one of the most influential movies ever made, and the final word in scope and spectacle in terms of what could be achieved by silent cinema.

M (Lang 1931) is also a masterful piece of cinema and along with Metropolis I feel stands up today, and deserves an audience outside of cinephiles or viewers who can appreciate films primarily due to their importance in terms of the technical nature of cinema and developments in the medium in terms of communicating ideas.

I also like 'Birth of a Nation' (Griffith 1915), perhaps acknowledge its importance in terms of many aspects of cinema would be a better way of phrasing it?

Birth of nation is technically important work but I just can't past its politics. The film is a blatant propaganda piece for the Ku Klux Klan, as such I wouldn't recommend seeing to anyone.

 

[tigermilk]

I've just pre-ordered the "definitive" edition (marketing speak for most complete version available) of Metropolis (Lang 1926) on blu ray with a snazzy metal box and assorted other crap. In my opinion one of the most influential movies ever made, and the final word in scope and spectacle in terms of what could be achieved by silent cinema.

M (Lang 1931) is also a masterful piece of cinema and along with Metropolis I feel stands up today, and deserves an audience outside of cinephiles or viewers who can appreciate films primarily due to their importance in terms of the technical nature of cinema and developments in the medium in terms of communicating ideas.

I also like 'Birth of a Nation' (Griffith 1915), perhaps acknowledge its importance in terms of many aspects of cinema would be a better way of phrasing it?

Birth of nation is technically important work but I just can't past its politics. The film is a blatant propaganda piece for the Ku Klux Klan, as such I wouldn't recommend seeing to anyone.

I couldn't agree more. In retrospect Birth of a Nation isn't a film to recommend, due as you say the racist propoganda. Griffith claimed he was not interested in the politics of the script but was only interested in the potential of cinema as a medium, which led to his next film Intolerance (1916). But yeah, as you say Birth of a Nation is not a film to recommend. Both Metroplis and M are well worth watching.