Summary

• The silent films of the last century are a veritable treasure trove of cinematic wonders from various genres such as comedy, horror and fantasy.
• Directors like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton created timeless classics that still resonate with today’s audiences.
• Early filmmakers such as Georges Méliès and Robert Wiene paved the way for modern cinema with groundbreaking technical and narrative innovations.

The history of film goes back to the late 19th century, and many Films made over 100 years ago are still highly praised and enjoyed by film lovers. Although many viewers find the black-and-white silent era an alien realm, those willing to delve into the distant past are rewarded with a treasure trove of cinematic wonders that are as captivating and thrilling as the best modern films. This was a time of incredible experimentation, and the influence of the great films of the centuries is still visible in the work of contemporary actors, directors and writers.

Some of the best silent films are over 100 years old and include influential films in genres such as comedy, fantasy, horror, and even experimental semi-documentaries. This era produced famous filmmakers such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, who have remained at the forefront of cinematic discourse even a century after the release of some of their best works. Although it can be difficult to know where to start with films of the past, These centuries-old films have a lot to offer today’s audience.

15 The Astronomer’s Dream (1898)

Director: Georges Méliès

French director Georges Méliès was instrumental in many of the most important technical and narrative developments in the history of cinema, as his extraordinary three-minute film demonstrates. The astronomer’s dream. Méliès was a talented magician who acted in the film himself and based it on one of his own magic tricks. With Méliès as the titular astronomer, The astronomer’s dream included an appearance by Satan himself and a mysterious missing woman. With impressive visual effects, The astronomer’s dream still has the power to amaze audiences more than 100 years later.

14 The Great Train Robbery (1903)

Director: Edwin S. Porter

The Great Train Robbery was one of the most remarkable films of the early days of American cinema and one of the most famous silent westerns ever. Inspired by the real-life heists of legendary western figures such as Butch Cassidy, this legendary 12-minute film was an unprecedented success due to the way it mixed dynamic action with spectacular violence. Porter also claimed that this was the first Western to tell a storyalthough film scholars later questioned the validity of this claim.

13 Oliver Twist (1922)

Director: Frank Lloyd

The works of Charles Dickens have long been the subject of excellent film adaptations, and this goes back to the silent film era with Oliver Twist with Jackie Coogan in the lead role. He has already starred alongside Charlie Chaplin in The child the year before, Coogan’s role in Oliver Twist made him one of the first real child starsAs a visually impressive silent film Oliver Twist captures the spirit of the original novel and its quality is surpassed only by David Lean’s extraordinary retelling in 1948.

12 A Woman from Paris (1923)

Director: Charlie Chaplin

Although Charlie Chaplin was best known for slapstick comedies, the legendary filmmaker tried his hand at a real drama with A woman from Paris in 1923. As the only film by Chaplin in which he did not appear as an actorThis beautifully directed silent film tells the story of a woman torn between love and security after she meets her former fiancé. While contemporary audiences, who expected more of Chaplin’s typical comedic style, were understandably disappointed by A woman from ParisModern viewers are rewarded with a powerful romantic drama.

11 The Ten Commandments (1923)

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Director Cecil B. DeMille may have felt the need to rework his religious epic The Ten Commandments with his iconic 1956 remake, which expanded the story in scope and scale, but his original film was already an astonishing achievement. A retelling of the Biblical story of the Exodus, DeMille pushed the special effects to the limit to portray Moses parting the Red Sea in a visually stunning scene that was believable, even by today’s standards. A major box office hit at the time of its release The Ten Commandments was proof of the growing potential of cinema in the 1920s.

10 Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)

Director: Fritz Lang

As one of the most iconic names of German Expressionism, Fritz Lang made some of the most influential films of all timeincluding his magnum opus metropolis in 1927. But even over 100 years ago he was famous with his incredible two-part mystery thriller about the arch-criminal Dr. Marbus, the player. A true classic in both style and content, this dark story of a criminal mastermind with the ability to control minds dealt with the hyperinflation that ravaged Germany after World War I.

9 The Birth of a Nation (1915)

Director: DW Griffith

The birth of a nation was one of the most controversial films of all time because of its racist portrayal of African Americans as unintelligent sexual abusers of white women. This reprehensible and inflammatory content did not prevent the film from being one of the most successful films of all time, adjusted for inflation. But despite the undoubtedly horrific aspects of this silent film epic, The birth of a nation was also an extraordinary piece of film art whose technical excellence laid the foundation for the development and improvement of cinema.

8 Intolerance (1916)

Director: DW Griffith

The censorship that director DW Griffith faced for his previous film, The birth of a nationinspired him to explore the topic of prejudice in his follow-up film. intoleranceThis was another feat of technical wonder, as the three-and-a-half-hour epic contained four parallel storylines set from 539 BC to 1914. As a sprawling epic intolerance did not have the same problems with racial representation that viewers had with Griffith’s previous film and was another extraordinary achievement in cinematography that served as inspiration for subsequent epics by later directors.

7 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

Director: Wallace Worsley

As the most successful film of 1923 (via diversity), The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a fantastic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s iconic 1831 novel, featuring an amazing performance by screen legend Lon Chaney as Quasimodo. Chaney perfectly embodied the horribly disfigured resident of Notre Dame Cathedral in the 15th century, while director Wallace Worsley powerfully captured the sad atmosphere of Paris of the past. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a stunning piece of film history that demonstrated the eternal resonance of Hugo’s classic, sad story.

6 Haxan (1922)

Director: Benjamin Christensen

The Swedish Horror Häxan mixed documentary and narrative styles to show the historical roots of witchcraft, which were based on misconceptions about mental or neurological disorders that triggered mass hysteria. While Häxan was widely censored for its graphic depiction of torture, nudity and sexuality, but was also a striking modern film that used a groundbreaking, unique style and striking imagery to create a film that was different from anything else of its time. Director Benjamin Christensen’s masterpiece, Häxan was equal parts academic study of ancient fears, experimental visual demonstration, and groundbreaking, genre-bending trailblazer.

5 The Phantom Car (1921)

Director: Victor Sjöström

Victor Sjöström’s Swedish silent film The Phantom Car The director played a drunkard named David Holme to reflect on his past mistakes in the carriage of death on New Year’s Eve. Through flashbacks and without the help of special effects, The Phantom Car simulated ghostly figures and was a powerful allegory for humanity’s need to use second chances to find meaning. A notable influence on Ingmar Bergman and his portrayal of death in The Seventh Seal, The Phantom Car was an extremely influential film that has had a tremendous impact on the film world ever since.

4 A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Director: Georges Méliès

Perhaps the first science fiction film ever, Georges Méliès’ masterpiece A trip to the moon was notable for its escapist narrative and for pushing boundaries in terms of the use of special effects. At just 14 minutes long and 16 frames per second A trip to the moon was an incredible demonstration of the magic of cinema, as Méliès’ unique approach to filmmaking made him one of cinema’s first auteur directors. Méliès’ influence is still felt today, as director Martin Scorsese paid tribute to him in his film Hugo.

3 Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Director: Buster Keaton

When talking about the silent film era, only one name can compete with Charlie Chaplin’s legacy: the equally talented and hilarious Buster Keaton. In his silent film comedy Sherlock Jr.,Keaton proved why he was one of the greatest of all time with a film that bordered on surrealism, as its dry humor and incredible visual gags remained as funny as ever. Sherlock Jr. was one of the few comedies that has truly stood the test of time and is as effective today as it was 100 years ago.

2 The Child (1921)

Director: Charlie Chaplin

The greatest comedy of the silent film era was Charlie Chaplin’s first feature film as director, The child. With Chaplin in the role of the Tramp and six-year-old child actor Jackie Coogan as the Kid, this deeply emotional story mixed comedy and drama, showing that while Chaplin never had a problem making audiences laugh, he could just as easily move them to tears. The child was always a heartwarming drama, a social commentary and a laugh-out-loud comedy, and best illustrates why audiences of all ages still remember Chaplin’s work more than a century after its release.

1 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Director: Robert Wiene

As a true masterpiece of German Expressionism The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari best represented the creative heights of the early days of cinema. A story of an insane hypnotist who brainwashes his victim into murder, this dark and twisted tale was hugely influential in every way, including its narrative, visual and thematic aspects. A profound and thought-provoking film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is not only remembered a century after its publication, but will certainly still be a topic of film studies 100 years from now.

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Source: Variety