Arshi Bhartia Ranjan
Filmmaking has been a medium of artistic expression that tells stories, and historically the art of telling stories has been fundamental to human nature and evolution. Truly, storytelling is one of the major marks of how we have evolved, and films are one of the biggest mediums in our world that has left everlasting social & cultural imprints.
Starting with a little history, with World War I burdening Europe, American cinema dominated the filmmaking scene during the 1910s, and of course, with something as inventive and visceral as films, the American audience kept wanting more. Due to this demand, and shift in the artistic society, many large companies merged together creating the Universal Film Company. According to sothetheorygoes, the birth of Hollywood came from this merger.
“Not only did Universal City take over the hills, but soon other conglomerates began to spring up in the desert. Studios like 20th Century Fox, Paramount, and MGM followed in Universal’s footsteps. With demand so high, and the almost impossible nature of shooting films individually, these major studios began to mass-produce films, assigning producers and directors to each film, without thought for the details.”
By the roaring ’20s, Hollywood reached its golden age of Silent Films. Films that were such major box office hits, and still remembered today, are studied and appraised & applauded for their ingenuity of storytelling, without the use of dialogue, color, or sound, simply acting and directing. Even today, Hollywood has many examples of homages to this era, displaying its strong impact on audiences.
It can be observed that silent films are an art to be perfected. To able to connect with an audience in a form, whether comedic, sadness, romantic, or action, with only the sense of sight (that too in black & white in its early ages), every emotion must be felt through the director’s play on storytelling, and the actor’s depiction of that storytelling. More modern films can be seen to intertwine those aspects of silent films, with the combined resources of today. A personal favorite is Stanley Kubrick’s, The Shining. Kubrick creates a wide sense of fear, with silence itself. “Solitude and the supernatural turn the husband into a homicidal maniac, and he spends the latter half of the story stalking his wife and child.” The biggest cultural impacts from the film, were the infamous twins in the hotel corridor, stalking Nicholson all throughout the movie.
Nothing but their haunting silence, holding hands, and smile have creeped out viewers over the course of 30 years.
Actors & actresses that are the “superstars” of this era are still remembered and looked back to as strong individuals with true art in what they do. Charlie Chaplin still regarded with his eccentric persona - his mustache, funny walk, oversized pants, and of course the classic bowler hat. He was one of the only filmmakers able to avoid the coming of sound into the industry. As the Guardian regards him, “he’s among the greatest artists of all time.” Lillian Gish is another individual who was at the center of many classics like Intolerance, Birth of a Nation, Broken Blossoms, and many more. Her acting can be described as bringing an “ethereal openness to her work, [combining] vulnerability and resilience.”
It's clear that the era that brought about the birth of cinema still remains one of the most impactful and beautiful. The simple art of acting and telling the intricate stories of filmmakers was a medium not seen before, leading to the most addictive stories that remain in many hearts today.
Sources Used:
Alexander, Shaquilla. “The Evolution of Cinema.” So The Theory Goes, https://www.sothetheorygoes.com/the-evolution-of-cinema/#the-silent-era. Accessed 21 February 2023.
French, Philip. “The 10 best silent movie stars - in pictures.” The Guardian, 5 November 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2011/nov/06/ten-best-silent-movie-stars-in-pictures. Accessed 21 February 2023.
MASLIN, JANET. “Flaws Don't Dim 'The Shining.'” The New York Times Web Archive, 8 June 1980, https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/060880kubrick-shining.html Accessed 21 February 2023.
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