"If we keep perfectly still, maybe they'll forget about the other silent movies"...

With The Artist (2012) having completed its triumphant awards season run, culminating in its five Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards, now seems the ideal time to take a look back at the silent era. Although to many it may seem outdated and redundant today, silent cinema can still offer a unique form of entertainment and spectacle. Additionally, its influence on the world of contemporary cinema goes beyond The Artist to encompass a number of iconic films. However, if you enjoyed Michael Hazanavicius’ ode to silent film then you will surely find plenty here to cherish.

10. Wings (1927)

The only other silent film to have won a Best Picture Oscar, William A. Wellman’s Wings is a melodrama of epic proportions. The story concerns a love triangle between two World War One fighter pilots and a female ambulance driver. Although at times the pace of the film seems long-winded, it is during the action scenes that Wings really excels. The airborne dogfights are a truly stunning achievement and the scenes of trench combat still offer their fair share of visceral thrills. Wellman’s own experience as an aviation expert made him the ideal choice for director and with the full co-operation of the US war department at his disposal, the result is the kind of real spectacle that just doesn’t occur in today’s CGI age.

9. Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902)

Georges Méliès, the director of Le Voyage dans la Lune, is featured in this year’s other multi Oscar-wining film Hugo (2012). Méliès thought of himself as a magician and he came to be known as the master of the ‘feerie’ film, one that indulges in fantasy and spectacle. The most expensive and famous of these films was Le Voyage dans la Lune.

Now heralded as the first sci-fi film, Le Voyage follows the journey of a group of scientists to the moon. There they encounter the strange alien creatures known as the Selenites before barely managing to escape back to earth. The brilliant set design and ground-breaking special effects contributed to the film’s commercial success. But beyond Méliès’ bag of tricks, the film’s early use of narrative continuity was also hugely progressive for its time. Le Voyage’s enduring legacy can be evidenced in the amount of different art forms it has influenced from painting to music to film.

8. The Tramp (1915)

Although it does not mark the first on-screen incarnation of Charlie Chaplin’s iconic tramp character, The Tramp is certainly its definitive representation. Chaplin would go on to reprise the character in such silent classics as City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936), but it was The Tramp that cemented the great actor-director’s trademark style.

The film sees our hero rush to the help of a female farmer who is being harassed by hobos. The girl takes the Tramp home but failing as a farm hand, and with the arrival of her fiancé, he decides to leave. Although a somewhat simple tale, Chaplin’s signature use of slapstick and tragedy makes for a bittersweet fable.

7. Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Sergei Eisenstein’s didactic productions are viewed as some of the best propaganda films ever made. Chief among his work is Battleship Potemkin, a hugely influential film that is cited as a landmark of cinematic achievement. Battleship is split into five episodes that chart the Potemkin mutiny of 1905, an event that saw the crew of a Russian battleship rebel against their Tsarist commanders. The film’s use of violence – principally in the influential Odessa steps sequence – was considered graphic at the time and shocked audiences worldwide. That particular scene has been emulated in a number of films including The Godfather (1972), Brazil (1985) and The Untouchables (1987).

6. Don’t Change Your Husband (1919)

Gloria Swanson, the leading lady in Don’t Change Your Husband, was one of the most popular actors of silent cinema. She would later play Norma Desmond, the bitter silent screen star of Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) – a film that The Artist director Michael Hazanavicius was no doubt signalling when thanking the prolific Wilder during his Oscar acceptance speech.

Don’t Change Your Husband was a comedy made by the legendary Hollywood director Cecil B. Demille. Its story of a woman who divorces her husband and then marries a playboy is now heralded as showcasing the ‘new woman’. The term refers to females who shed their traditional role of housewife to take charge of their sexuality. Consequently, after starring in these films, stars such as Swanson became the symbols of the modern jazz age of the twenties.

5. Metropolis (1927)

Over eighty years since its release Fritz Lang’s visionary sci-fi Metropolis still offers a breathtaking experience. The film’s set design, inspired by Lang’s love of the Manhattan skyline, has inspired countless numbers of sci-fi films. However, its socio-political narrative proved controversial and resulted in the film being substantially cut by its distributors. As a result it was considered a lost film up until a few years ago when its original cut was found in an Argentinian museum. A restored version, which is thought to match Lang’s original vision, was subsequently released in 2010. As one of the last remnants of the silent era Metropolis is a testament to the medium’s progressive nature.

4. The General (1926)

The General is an action-comedy which sees its star and co-director Buster Keaton chase down the spies who have stolen his beloved train and sweetheart. Keaton, who did all his own stunts in the film, displays great athleticism and comedic timing as he navigates the steam engine in the face of fires and explosions. The film’s sight gags are cleverly shot and, best of all, are hilarious. Although Keaton’s deadpan humour was not appreciated at the time of its release, The General has deservedly earned a reputation as one of the best films of the silent era.

3. Nosferatu (1922)

Like Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau was also a German Expressionist director. Nosferatu, an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is one of his most famous films and a true Gothic delight. Although it may seem tame compared to contemporary horror films, Nosferatu’s greatest strength lies in the haunting atmosphere that it creates. The lack of sound is integral in building a sense of creeping dread as we watch the Count, here named Orlok, attack his victims. Max Schreck is also great in the lead role; his make-up and posture combine to create a truly demonic presence.

2. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)

Like George Valentin in The Artist, Rudolph Valentino was a heartthrob of silent cinema. Following the commercial success of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Italian-born Valentino was promoted to women as ‘the ideal lover’ and ‘the modern Don Juan’. The film itself is an epic family narrative set amidst the backdrop of World War One. However, it gained notoriety for its star’s erotic dancing. This, combined with Valentino’s role as a South American lothario, verified the actor’s status as a sex symbol. Horsemen’s entertaining mix of sensuality and adventure made it one of the top grossing films of the silent era.

1. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

A controversial film upon its release, Carl Theodore Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc is now celebrated as one of the greatest films of all time. The Passion follows Joan of Arc’s capture, imprisonment and execution by the British. At its core is a brilliant performance by Renée Jeanne Falconetti as the tragic female soldier. The film’s overbearing theme of repression and naturalistic tone may not be to everyone’s liking but it is worth viewing for its cinematography alone.

Dreyer’s insistence to shoot the film in chronological order and his repetitive use of the close-up proved to be an ordeal for the film’s cast, particularly Falconetti. However, the end result is unique in its emotional intensity.

See also:

Ten silent super-stars facing the advent of 'talkies'

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