I really like going to the movies, but often the actors ruin it for me. Maybe that’s why silent films appeal – the actors don’t speak, and I can project onto them. Also the outfits are often really good. So it was with great pleasure that I happened on Silent Movies : the birth of film and the triumph of movie culture, a stunning new collection of essays and images on the beginnings of the film industry.
Silent film wasn’t all damsels tied to train tracks. This book demonstrates the variety of work that was being created. Such a new medium naturally lent itself to considerable experimentation. The book pays homage to the work of art directors, cinematographers and directors and is lavishly illustrated with stills, promo materials and posters from the Library of Congress’s memorabilia collection. The cover photo for example of Clara Bow is beautiful.
If you are already schooled in the history of cinema, this may not offer any new information, but it does provide a nice condensed examination of the international film industry from 1893 to 1927. What I am most impressed about is the coverage of the industry outside the U.S. Author Peter Kobel examines genres such as horror, westerns and comedy. Apparently interest in the preservation of silent films has increased in recent years. Director Martin Scorsese is a big advocate for tracking down and restoring what is lost (he writes the foreword for this book). Continue reading