1920s Viewing Log

Total Viewed: 45 (2 Short)

90+
Metropolis (1927) (Fritz Lang) 98/100
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) (F.W. Murnau) 97/100
The General (1926) (Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton) 96/100
La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) (Carl Theodor Dreyer) 94/100
Faust (Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage) (1926) F.W. Murnau 93
Man With A Movie Camera (Chelovek s kino-apparatom) (1929) (Dziga Vertov) 93/100
The Crowd (1928) King Vidor 92
Sherlock Jr. (1924) (Buster Keaton) 92/100
An Adalusian Dog (Un chien andalou) (1929) (Luis Buñuel) 90/100

80-89
The Last Laugh (Der letzte Mann) (1924) (F.W. Murnau) 89/100
Strike (Stachka) (1925) Sergei M. Eisenstein 89
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) (F.W. Murnau) 88/100
Berlin: Symphony of a City (Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Grosstadt) (1927) Walter Ruttmann 84
The Kid (1921) (Charles Chaplin) 83/100
Napoléon vu par Abel Gance (1927) Abel Gance 83
Oktyabr (1927) Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Sergei M. Eisenstein 83
The Wedding March (1928) Erich von Stroheim 83
The Wind (1928) Victor Sjöström 83
Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler (Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler) (1922) Fritz Lang 82
The Golem (Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam) (1920) Paul Wegener, Carl Boese 82
Spies (Spione) (1928) Fritz Lang 82
7th Heaven (1927) Frank Borzage 81
The Battleship Potemkin (Bronenosets Potyomkin) (1925) (Sergei M. Eisenstein) 81/100
The Big Parade (1925) George W. Hill, King Vidor 81
Foolish Wives (1922) Erich von Stroheim 81
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) Charles Reisner, Buster Keaton 81

70-79
The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen) (1921) Victor Sjöström 79
Nanook of the North (1922) (Robert J. Flaherty) 77/100
Wings (1927) Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, William A. Wellman 77
Seven Chances (1925) Buster Keaton 74
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920) (Robert Wiene) 73/100
The Navigator (1924) Donald Crisp, Buster Keaton 73
Paris Asleep (Paris qui dort) (1924) René Clair 73
Money (L'argent) (1928) (Marcel L'Herbier) 72/100
Rhythmus 21 (1921) Hans Richter 72
The Unknown (1927) Tod Browning 72
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923) Charles Chaplin 71

The Gold Rush (1925) (Charles Chaplin) 71/100

Greed (1924) (Erich von Stroheim) 71/100
Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) Benjamin Christensen 71
The Circus (1928) Charles Chaplin 70

60-69
Pandora's Box (Die Büchse der Pandora) (1929) (Georg Wilhelm Pabst) 68/100
The Cameraman (1928) (Edward Sedgwick, Buster Keaton) 66/100
Our Hospitality (1923) John G. Blystone, Buster Keaton 66
Arsenal (1928) (Aleksandr Dovzhenko) 64/100


Top Tens:
1929
1. Man With A Movie Camera (Chelovek s kino-apparatom) (1929) (Dziga Vertov) 93/100
2. An Adalusian Dog (Un chien andalou) (1929) (Luis Buñuel) 90/100
3. Pandora's Box (Die Büchse der Pandora) (1929) (Georg Wilhelm Pabst) 68/100
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10.

1928

1. La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) (Carl Theodor Dreyer) 94/100

2. The Crowd (1928) King Vidor 92

3. The Wedding March (1928) Erich von Stroheim 83

4. The Wind (1928) Victor Sjöström 83

5. Spies (Spione) (1928) Fritz Lang 82

6. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) Charles Reisner, Buster Keaton 81

7. Money (L'argent) (1928) (Marcel L'Herbier) 72/100

8. The Circus (1928) Charles Chaplin 70

9. The Cameraman (1928) (Edward Sedgwick, Buster Keaton) 66/100

10. Arsenal (1928) (Aleksandr Dovzhenko) 64/100

1927

1. Metropolis (1927) (Fritz Lang) 98/100

2. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) (F.W. Murnau) 97/100

3. Berlin: Symphony of a City (Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Grosstadt) (1927) Walter Ruttmann 84

4. Napoléon vu par Abel Gance (1927) Abel Gance 83

5. Oktyabr (1927) Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Sergei M. Eisenstein 83

6. 7th Heaven (1927) Frank Borzage 81

7. Wings (1927) Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, William A. Wellman 77

8. The Unknown (1927) Tod Browning 72

9.

10.

1926

1. The General (1926) (Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton) 96/100

2. Faust (Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage) (1926) F.W. Murnau 93

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10.

1925

1. Strike (Stachka) (1925) Sergei M. Eisenstein 89

2. The Battleship Potemkin (Bronenosets Potyomkin) (1925) (Sergei M. Eisenstein) 81/100

3. The Big Parade (1925) George W. Hill, King Vidor 81

4. Seven Chances (1925) Buster Keaton 74

5. The Gold Rush (1925) (Charles Chaplin) 71/100

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7.

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9.

10.

1924

1. Sherlock Jr. (1924) (Buster Keaton) 92/100

2. The Last Laugh (Der letzte Mann) (1924) (F.W. Murnau) 89/100

3. The Navigator (1924) Donald Crisp, Buster Keaton 73

4. Paris Asleep (Paris qui dort) (1924) René Clair 73

5. Greed (1924) (Erich von Stroheim) 71/100

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7.

8.

9.

10.

1923

1. A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923) Charles Chaplin 71

2. Our Hospitality (1923) John G. Blystone, Buster Keaton 66

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10.

1922

1. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) (F.W. Murnau) 88/100

2. Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler (Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler) (1922) Fritz Lang 82

3. Foolish Wives (1922) Erich von Stroheim 81

4. Nanook of the North (1922) (Robert J. Flaherty) 77/100

5. Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) Benjamin Christensen 71

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7.

8.

9.

10.

1921

1. The Kid (1921) (Charles Chaplin) 83/100

2. The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen) (1921) Victor Sjöström 79

3. Rhythmus 21 (1921) Hans Richter 72

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9.

10.

1920

1. The Golem (Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam) (1920) Paul Wegener, Carl Boese 82

2. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920) (Robert Wiene) 73/100

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10.

Arsenal (1928)

Watched on DVD 6/6/09
Directed by Aleksandr Dovzhenko

Ask any casual moviegoer about the history of cinema and the response will no doubt include silent, black & white and colour. Some will add things like aspect ratios and digital projection or 3-D films but all responses will include the first three. The use of the term of "silent cinema" indicates that sound plays no part in the enjoyment or appreciation of the film. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. Live renditions of the musical score were features of early cinema. Films such as Everlasting Moments pay homage to this. Arguably, the score was more important in silent features than in contemporary movies.

Every introductory text on film history mentions the Soviet directors of the 1920s as trendsetters and innovators who progressed the medium of cinema to what we know it as today. The Battleship Potemkin by Eisenstein is the work cited most and is the only other Soviet film of this era that I have seen. Arsenal is a propaganda film detailing the heroism of Ukrainian revolutionaries.

Modern Hollywood film tends to make elaborate use of establishing shots. You know the sort: city view; street view; building shot; usually followed by a zoom into a room. Either that or a subtitled location and time will be displayed. Dovzhenko doesn't use this mechanism and coupled with the large cast I didn't quite follow the linkage between scenes at certain points. This, I'm sure, has to do with me watching a film 80 years after it was made, the audience of the day would not experience the same difficulty.

In truth, this difficulty is easily overcome because the plot revolves around key scenes of bravery and idealised collective action. The merchants and army officers are portrayed as weak hideous men ruled by avarice, the hard working officers noble and strong-willed. Exciting kinetic energy is wonderfully illustrated in two extended sequences. First, we experience a high speed train derailment with actors jumping from the moving train. Then, a high speed cavalry races along to bury a fallen comrade. The one truly recognisable character is a handsome, strong actor who leads the proletariat in revolt. One can't help but think that Che Guevera must have modeled some of his image on him.

Overall Rating - 64/100