Fairy Tale Spotlight: Silent Films

I don't watch many silent films, but I do have a fascination with them. They are often considered antiquated and obsolete since we now have movies with sound, but I'm not entirely sure of that. Watching a really old silent film is a bit like looking into someone's dream. They tend to portray scenes in brief with only the bare minimum of dialog needed, produced through text. There's a strange hybrid of movie and book happening here, but it's really hard to put my finger on.

A problem I have with a lot of silent films, but not really a problem, is that there seems to be a truncated aspect in their writing. It feels like a lot of scenes are missing, and hard cuts are the way of the world. The plot can still be followed, but much of it has to be constructed by the imagination. I use the word "constructed" because the sets often seem half built and flimsy.

I have to give them the benefit of the doubt on some things, but, in others, I have to rework some things in my head for it to make sense. That doesn't really mean they did anything wrong, but there is just something so broken about a world without sound that it turns on a rarely used mechanism in my mind that feels it needs to do something to complete the shot. I don't think this is a bad thing at all.

Although dialog is still present in these films, they only show you what you need to know. There are often many scenes where people are talking, but we don't get to know what is being said. Granted, what they are saying could be nothing more than small talk, but there are times where there are smiles, the shaking of hands, and the simultaneous movement of lips which clearly insinuate that a greeting is taking place. And maybe knowing that for sure isn't necessary when what is happening is so obvious.

Then again, there have been many times where two persons talk to each other with absolutely no context, and we are not provided text for it. I often thought that this conversation was simply not important enough to show, but my brain is still filling in the gap. I still kind of know what they are saying even though nothing was really said. It's an odd way to make a movie, especially if you consider how much extra information we get from modern movies. We hear every bit of dialog, important or not.

Regardless of the limitations of a silent movie, there does seem to be an artform to it. They had to make them in very specific ways. The surreal effect of them is fascinating. Every movie is a black and white dream where your brain if filling it with sound and dialog.

You may find it interesting that silent movies are being made to this day. I am going to wholeheartedly recommend two of them for your viewing pleasure.

The Call of Cthulhu (2005) was entirely designed, from the ground up, as the truest portrayal of the Cthulhu mythos in the time at which the story was set. This makes it very immersive. All the special effects of the time are used to make it come alive. No tricks. Only what they would have done if the movie was made in the 1920's.

The Artist (2011) is an actually good French film that was about a silent film actor that was having trouble dealing with the invention of sound. 99% of this movie is done in the classic silent filmmaking manner, with a small portion breaking from the format to a surprising effect. It drew me in and kept me.

Silent films are still a thing, and they are a different animal then any other medium. They are more than simply the result of limitations. To watch them, you have to activate certain mechanisms in your brain, and that in itself makes them worth your time.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!