The most influential silent movies

The most influential silent movies are those that continue to make an impact even with the advent of talking pictures in 1927. These movies are still talked about almost 100 years after they were produced. They illustrate the imagination of film making and how movies can stir up controversy. The following is a short list of some of the most influential silent movies of all time.

D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation”

Released in 1915, “The Birth of a Nation” chronicles the life of two families after the Civil War during Reconstruction. The story raises eyebrows because, in the film, the Ku Klux Klan is the heroes, and black characters are based on negative stereotypes. Civil Rights organizations protest the release of the movie, and it is a step toward the resurgence of the Klan. On the other hand, the movie also introduced a number of camera techniques that are still used today. The fact that this movie is still analyzed in college demonstrates it merit.

Oscar Micheaux’s “Within Our Gates”

Micheaux is considered the most prominent African-American director of the silent movie era. Released in 1920, “Within Our Gates” is a race film, as it recounts the life of African Americans in the south amid Jim Crow, the Great Migration and the emergence of the “New Negro.” Many people consider this film a response to “The Birth of a Nation” and its portrayal of blacks. The film was lost for years before they find a copy in Spain in the 1970. This is the oldest known film by an African-American director.

Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis”

This 1927 science fiction film portrays themes still present in modern science fiction, social unrest and power struggles between the working class and those in authority, from “Blade Runner” to “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” Set in 2026, humans are either thinkers or workers. One of the thinkers falls for a worker and realizes the conditions they work under. The movie is the father of modern science fiction and can still be seen on DVD.

Harry Hoyt’s “The Lost World”

Before “Jurassic Park,” this 1925 film is the first dinosaur movie to become a hit. In the plot of the movie, a London explorer claims to have seen dinosaurs in the Amazon jungle. After they read a diary making these claims from a marooned explorer, a group mounts a rescue expedition to South America. The movie uses stop motion technology, the same technology used in 1933’s “King Kong.” It also paved the way for successful films like the “Jurassic Park” trilogy.

The true merit of any creative work is whether or not people will still be talking about it long after its original release. These four films stand apart from any movies as the most influential silent movies of all time. They go on to impact the film industry for many years and inspire a number of directors to this day.

Source:

http://www.imdb.com