The silent film era remains one of the most interesting of all the eras of film history. Sadly, many silent films are lost and gone forever due to the destruction of thousands of prints to procure their silver nitrate component when WWII arrived. Other prints were simply lost or destroyed. Of the archives that do remain, there are some truly stunning silent films of from the early part of the 2oth century. The following is a short list of the top ones:
The Birth of a Nation: Highly controversial, D.W. Griffith’s epic of the Reconstruction Era was the highest grossing film of the silent period: 10 million at the box office.
The Phantom of the Opera: Lon Chaney Sr.’s Hunchback of Notre Dame was a bigger hit but the tale of the Phantom was the more impactful and remembered horror film from the 1920′s.
The Ten Commandments: Another sweeping historical epic that was a huge hit at the time. Sadly, this silent version of Moses’ life is overshadowed by the 1950′s remake with Charlton Heston.
Metropolis: No, Metropolis was not the first sci-fi film of the silent era but it has become the most historically influential. The themes in this strange world of the future still resonate in modern times.Want to know more? Go ahead: maudit: “This shot is the most expensive shot in silent film…