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Here are the reviews I have written for silents I have rated ten stars - these are what I consider the best of the best silent movie - must see films.
Ten Star Silent Movies / Film Reviews - Plot Summaries and Ratings
- The Birth of a Natin (1915) - A very long (over 3 hour) silent film, directed by D.W. Griffith, that I would summarize like this - - the first part, hour and a half, is absolutely wonderfully done. The story of two families, one from the North, one from the South, just as the Civil War is starting. Of course, the friends end up fighting on opposite sides of the conflict. What I like about this film is that every frame looks just like an old sepia photo right out of the Civil War time - the costumes looked so real, it seemed like a step back to the past. In fact, the only thing that keeps it from looking like a real trip to the Civil War era via time machine is the use of blackfaced actors to portray many of the black characters - this is typically done in films at this time, but it just looks so phony and ridiculous - and that leads me into the second half of this film - the reconstruction. Possibly the most racist film I have ever seen, my jaw was actually dropping open a few times over some of this stuff. But as a whole, the film is a masterwork of it's time - I found it very enjoyable to watch and the three hours went by very quicky. Some things I liked in the film - 1. the portrayal of the scene of Lincoln's assasination, very well done, looked very realistic. 2. Mae Marsh who plays the teen daughter of the Southern family was really delightful in this, I now like her much more than I have from seeing her in other films. 3. Actor Henry B. Walthall is very attractive looking here, younger than I have seen him, and handsome in period costume. 4. The orchestral score done for this is excellent, I must say. 5. I love Lillian Gish! * 10/10 stars *
- Stella Maris (1918) - Mary Pickford plays a duel role as Stella Maris and as Unity Blake in this charming, terrific silent film. Beautiful Stella Maris, paralyzed since childhood, lives in a dream-like world completely shielded from all the world's bad things and seems to spend all her time in bed, alongside her trusty dog Teddy and assorted bunnies and kittens. Unity Blake is the ugly-ducking of a local London orphanage, but one day a woman comes in to adopt a girl and chooses Unity after seeing her outside beating a rug. Unity arrives at the home of the woman, who turns out to be a bitter, unhappy drunkard who only wanted a free house servant - Unity is quickly put to work. That woman has a husband, John Risca (Conway Tearle), who happens to be a man who Stella Maris loves, and who has unfortunatley given Stella the idea that he is unmarried and lives in a castle (what could he be thinking of, lying like that to the poor bedridden girl?!). When Unity arrives home one day after having been robbed of that night's meal by some bad cockney street boys, Risca's evil wife thrashes her within an inch of her life. The wife goes to prison for three years and John adopts Unity as his only way to atone for his wife's bad deed. Meanwhile, a miraculous surgery is performed on Stella who can now walk again - but now, outside the confines of her bedroom, she begins to see hunger, murder, suicide, and other of life's misery's for the first time. A few years goes by, Stella and Unity both fall in love with John Risca who is desperately in love with Stella, but (for some odd reason) won't leave his wife who is now out of prison and living alone, while John lives with Unity and his dizzy Aunt Gladys (Josephine Crowell). This is a completely enjoyable and moving film - Mary Pickford does a great job playing two parts, and it is so interesting to me how she can look so very beautiful as Stella, and so very ugly as Unity (they do seem to have Unity's teeth blackened, and maybe something on her eyelashes to really lighten them up to make her eyes look small). The DVD from Milestone Films features a nice-looking tinted print and a lovely orchestral score by Philip Carli that really matches the film well. * 10/10 stars *
- The Dragon Painter (1919) - Fairy tale like gem, this silent film is a fable that tells the tale of a brilliant young artist, Tatsu (Sessue Hayakawa), who lives in the mountains of Japan and is known as "the dragon painter", a mad genius who dwells outdoors in tattered robes and paints only dragons as he seeks his "enchanted princess" who he believes was turned into a dragon by the spirits a thousand years ago. In Toyko lives an old master artist, father of a daughter but no sons, who seeks an artist worthy of carrying on his family tradition and name. The dragon painter is presented to him as a prospect - but now here's the rub: the dragon painter's single-minded pursuit of his princess forces the old artist to display his daughter to him as "the princess come to life". Tatsu will only agree to become his apprentice if the daughter is given to him for a wife. The old master, deeming Tatsu as a worthy disciple does just that, Tatsu is married, but then struggles to regain his talent as a painter which seems was only brought on by his painful pursuit of his lost love. This film is entertaining, and very nicely photographed - the tinted print and Japanese style music score, which features the sounds of some unusual instruments in parts of it (like what sounded like wooden wind chimes tinkling together, is one example) adding to the fantasy atmosphere. Enchantingly romantic fare. * 10/10 stars *
- Miss Lulu Bett (1921) - a terrific and romantic little silent film directed by William de Mille. Poor spinster Miss Lulu Bett (Lois Wilson), living in the home of her sister's family, run with a stern hand by sis's husband Dwight Deacon, "master of the house", dentist, and sort of "Life With Father" /"Meet Me in St. Louis" head of the household and stickler for dinner promptly on time. Lulu is treated like a house servant/slave as she does all the family cooking and cleaning and gets in trouble for spending two bits for a potted violet. Well, the local school teacher, Mr. Cornish (Milton Sills) arrives one evening and Lulu clearly has a crush on him - - and it seems he fancies our Lulu too (though she seems oblivious to the fact) - after all, it's pretty clear from the get-go she's a beauty hidden by her ragged appearance. One day Deacon's brother Ninian arrives, a pudgy, somewhat aggressive middle-aged man, who immediately has his eye on Lulu 'cause she's got her long hair down when he arrives and looks quite pretty. Well, a very odd thing happens - when mom, dad, Ninian, and Lulu are out at a restaurant, Ninian jokingly pretends to marry Lulu - placing a ring on her finger, saying his vows, and prodding her to say them back, which she does. Umm - it turns out that our Deacon also happens to be a justice of the peace, and the couple is now REALLY married. Not for long though - a week later it seems that this Ninian may be a bigamist as he reveals to Lulu that he already has a wife who left him years ago, disappeared, and he doesn't know if she is alive or dead. Hmmm. Lulu goes home and must now face the family who only wants her around to cook and the town gossips who think she was sent packing by her husband. But there's one charm in the whole mix - the school teacher is still there and loves Lulu. Sigh. I love this film, that's all I need say! Nicely played by Lois Wilson in a way that sure makes you root for and hope things work out for Lulu. The film is on the same DVD from Image Entertainment as "Why Change Your Wife" and features a nice-looking sepia tinted print, as well as a yet another well-done orchestral score by the Mont Alto Orchestra. * 10/10 stars *
- Red Lily (1924) - Plot Summary - Emotional tale which starts in a small village in Britanny where lives a young couple, Jean (played by Ramon Novarro) and Marline (Enid Bennett), childhood sweethearts who are torn apart when her father dies suddenly. Impoverished and alone, she must go to live with her next of kin - a poor and unfriendly family including drunken father, haggardly wife, and lot of dirty, small children. The man, a raging hothead, chases after the poor girl, almost with gleeful evil, with a whip 'til she runs off seeking refuge in her old home. Luckily her handsome beau loves her and takes her away to start a new life together in Paris. Unfortunately, through circumstances, they are separated and can't find each other - and thus follows the story of life and what happens to each of them in the big, bad, crime-ridden city. Review - An emotionally charged film throughout, brightly tinted in part with shades of browns, reds, and oranges, with interesting photography in places, especially noticable the interesting shots taken into and out through windows and such. The music score that accompanies this film is really excellent, completely suits the mood of the story, and, I thought, enhanced the film. The acting is well-done - actress Enid Bennett reminded me, both in appearance and acting style, of Lillian Gish. Of course, Ramon Novarro looks very, very handsome, as usual, and Wallace Beery appears as his usual smarmy self. This is a terrific silent film, I loved it. * 10/10 stars *
- Visages d'enfants (Faces of Children) (1925) - Excellent and moving silent film following the story of a young boy who has trouble coping with the sudden loss of his mother followed by his father's remarriage. In the village of Saint-Luc, in the Swiss Alps, the film opens in the parlour of a house where the coffin of the dead mother is brought down the stairs before the whole village including grief-stricken father and especially upset son, Jean. The daughter, Pierrette, seems too young to understand what is going on as she blows soap bubbles and plays with her doll (and in fact is actually told by a neighbor lady that her mama is "on a trip"). Jean now prays each night to a large photograph of his mother, which is prominently perched right above his pillow - he even imagines her coming to life as she smiles down on him. Every Sunday, father and son place flowers on her grave, but the father soon meets a local widow and her daughter Arlette, and before you know it dad stops visiting mama's grave and comes to the decision he will remarry. But he decides that Jean is just too sensitive to be told the news and recruits the boy's god-father to take him out of town while the marriage takes place, then tell the boy and send him back when the new family is safely in the household - hmmm, kind of an odd plan, it seems to me, just leaving the boy out of everything (he doesn't even get to attend the wedding - and the whole village is there!). Anyway, when Jean gets back he immediately gets into a fight with new step-sister Arlette. Now I was expecting some real problems with the new mom perhaps treating him badly in the way of the often seen evil movie step-mother - but she is actually very kind, gives lots of love and encouragement in trying to join these two families together as one family, and even seems to treat all the kids equally. But the fighting continues between Jean and Arlette, mostly caused by Jean who tries to exclude Arlette from playing with them and seems to like to pull pranks on her involving her doll, which he eventually pushes off the family horse and cart into the snow - all leading to a possible tragedy as Arlette is caught in an avalanche. This is a terrific film, very well photographed and very scenic, visually like a gorgeous picture postcard. An effective scene during the funeral procession features rapid cutting between the boy's face and the coffin - another scene looks like it came straight out of "Heidi" as Jean and Arlette are at the top of a mountain surrounded by the peaks of the Alps and a herd of goats. The acting in this film is natural and very well done by all - the kids are particularly good, their faces expressively showing every thought, especially Jean Forest, who plays Jean, who gives a really top-notch and memorable performance. The tinted print of this looked very nice for the most part, the orchestral score suits the film well and at times is extremely good. A remarkable and beautiful film that left me with tears at the end - a treat to see. * 10/10 stars *
- Hindle Wakes (1927) - In Hindle, Lancashire - "Wakes Week" is a week off for holiday after a year of drudgery in the cotton mills. Modern young Fanny and her gal pal Mary, two factory girls, go off by train to spend their holiday week in Blackpool, Britain's version of Coney Island. They meet up with two young men, one of which is Allan, he's the son of the wealthy owner of the cotton mill where the girls work and engaged to Beatrice, daughter of the Mayor of Hindle. Fanny and Allan immediately "click" as they spend a day of fun, including a spin on the dance floor that evening where they romantically appear to be falling in love. They stay out all night, then run away together to secretly spend the rest of the week alone in Llandudno - but as tragedy strikes, both their family's find out, and this film turns into a real soaper (gosh, Fanny has a mean mum - she beats up her daughter, and flashes her some really hateful looks too. All the girl did was spend a week with a man, and, I mean, he's handsome and rich to boot). The first half of this film is absolutely terrific and loaded with neat photography - the camera strapped to the rides of Blackpool (hey, that tunnel slide they go down looks really fun to me!), the play of light over a huge dance floor full of hundreds of moving dancers, plus lots of close-ups of shoes - the shuffling feet of workers as they trudge into the factory, the dancing feet of the dancers gliding along the dance hall floor, even the shoes of Fanny and Allan as they wake up in the morning at the beginning of the movie, immediately revealing that one is poor, the other rich. The second half of the film drags slightly, but still I must say this is a terrific movie. The music, an orchestral score done by British group In the Nursery, gave this film a haunting, romantic, and tragic quality that suited the movie and, I thought, increased the enjoyment of the film. There is also an alternate piano score available on the DVD, done by Phil Carli. The DVD is from Milestone Films and has a black and white print that has a good amount of contrast and looks great. Really, really enjoyed this one. * 10/10 stars *
- Wings (1927) - The first film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Clara Bow as Mary Preston, small-town girl who loves the boy-next-door Jack Powell (Buddy Rogers) who loves city girl Sylvia (Jobyna Ralston) who loves rich boy David Armstrong (Richard Arlen) who loves Sylvia back. WWI - the guys enlist as flyboys and soon our story takes us from ground school (where our two fellows, who aren't getting along 'cause they both love Sylvia, "bond" during boxing practice) - to overseas dawn patrol where their first flight takes them into battle against a German ace and his "flying circus" - to fighting a Gotha. Mary signs up too - and ends up overseas herself driving a supply truck. When the guys are given leave and end up in Paris at the Folies Bergere, word is sent that the "Big Battle" is coming and all leaves are cancelled. Mary tries to get Jack out of the Folies (and out of the arms of a loose Folies girl) but he is drunk on champagne (and instead of "pink elephants" all Jack sees are bubbles flying out of everything!). With the help of the bathroom attendant, Mary borrows a dress from the dancers wardrobe and seduces her cutie-pie into a room (where he promptly passes out). She is caught undressed in the room (just changing back into her uniform, but misunderstood!), and is sent home for good. While there are a bit too many flying battle scenes in this for my personal taste (seems like at least half the movie is midair dogfight scenes), this is still a great movie and has lots of neat photography. Love an early scene with Sylvia and David on a swing, the scene with the black shadow of a plane going over the landscape below, and the neat tracking shot through the tables of people at the Folies Bergere ending at the drunken table of Jack, David, and friends. A young Gary Cooper appears in a brief scene as White, a veteran flyboy who shares Jack and David's overseas quarters. The organ score on my copy is done by Gaylord Carter and is quite good. * 10/10 stars *
- Asphalt (1929) - Outstanding German silent era crime drama; an early film noir about a young traffic officer who gets involved with a femme fatale he has just arrested for stealing a diamond from a jeweler's shop. This spit-curled, dark-haired beauty attempts to use tears, tricks, Cognac, a pillow-laden couch proportioned like a king-sized bed, and finally a black-laced bodysuit/nightie to seduce our officer into letting her off. These two soon become emotionally involved with each other, but the officer is feeling guilt over shirking his duty to arrest her. The photography in this film is really excellent - the film as a whole is very visual, with lots of facial close-ups, softly filtered lighting along with shadowy rooms and hallways, and an interesting montage at the beginning of the asphalt streets of Berlin and it's fast moving crowds of people and traffic, all shown with interesting overlapped and angled photography. The actors all give excellent, emotional performances. The actress, Betty Amann, who portrays the thief is especially good here, seducing both our officer and the viewer with just her eyes, showing a great range of emotion in close-up. The print on the Kino DVD of this looks good, the orchestral score is really great and suits this to a tea. I have seen many, many silent films and I would certainly count this one among the best I've seen. * 10/10 stars *
- A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929) - Stalked! Stylish and tense melodrama which features an opening scene where a man who has just escaped from prison is seen crossing the stark and gloomy moors, the sky darkened by black clouds, and not much more to be seen than a few wandering cows and a dark, bare tree. A woman cares for her baby at a lonely, isolated cottage, the man slithers in and confronts her and - she knows him! Now in flashback we see the background story of these two, Joe and Sally, co-workers in a barber shop where he gives men a shave and a haircut while she manicures their nails and gives the customers flirtatious smiles. This prompts more than just jealousy in this man - he pursues her, she doesn't really seem to like him that much but does agree to go out with him and they spend an evening together at her boarding-house where numerous well-meaning, slightly interfering oldtimers seem to live (and he gets some pretty scary expressions on his face in what seems to be his desperation to kiss her). When she agrees to go see a "talkie" with a certain male customer, Joe turns stalker as he sneaks into the theater, secretly plants himself in the row behind them, and in an amazingly photographed scene shot using rapid-paced editing, we never see the film they are watching - instead the camera cuts between audience members plus Sally reacting as they watch the film, the orchestra playing, and Joe - who is not watching the film at all, but rather he's glaring in a steady gaze at Sally and her "date" in front of him. This is a really excellent, well done film featuring loads of interesting cinematography - softly filtered lighting and shadowy scenes, facial close-ups, and lots of fast cutting. The guard who discovers Joe's escape is seen mainly in shadows against the cell walls, the menacing face of the convict as the camera quickly zooms in to show his face as the woman recognizes him, Joe sharpening his razor, quickly cut between two gossiping female co-workers, as he contemplates murder! The Kino DVD of this features a great looking black and white print and nicely done piano score that helps enhance the tension in the film. A great silent film, well worth seeing. * 10/10 stars *
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