Summary
The history of movies dates back to the late 1800s, and manyfilms made over 100 years agoare still acclaimed and enjoyed by film lovers. Although many viewers may feel the black-and-white, silent era of movies to be an alienating sphere, those willing to delve into the far past will be rewarded with a treasure trove of cinematic wonders as engaging and enthralling as the best modern movies. This was a time of incredible experimentation, and the influence of the tremendous century-old films can still be seen in the work of contemporary actors, directors, and writers.
Some ofthe best silent moviesare over 100 years old and include highly influential films in genres such as comedy, fantasy, horror, and even experimental semi-documentaries. This era included acclaimed filmmakers like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, who have remained at the forefront of cinematic discourse a century since some of their best work was released. While it can be difficult to know where to start with movies of the past,these century-old films have a lot to offer contemporary viewers.
The Astronomer’s Dream
Cast
An astronomer falls asleep and has a strange dream involving a fairy queen and the Moon.
The French director Georges Méliès led many of the most important technical and narrative developments in the history of cinema, as proven by his extraordinary three-minute movieThe Astronomer’s Dream.Méliès was a talented magician who starred in the film himselfand based it on one of his own magic acts. With Méliès as the titular astronomer,The Astronomer’s Dreamincluded an appearance from Satan himself and a mysterious disappearing woman. With impressive visual effects,The Astronomer’s Dreamstill has the power to astound viewers more than 100 years later.
The Great Train Robbery
The Great Train Robbery is a seminal 1903 silent film directed by Edwin S. Porter. Widely credited as one of the first American action films, it depicts a group of bandits executing a train robbery and subsequent getaway. Filmed in a dynamic narrative style, the film is notable for its innovative use of editing and cross-cutting techniques, laying the groundwork for future cinematic storytelling.
The Great Train Robberywas one of the most notable films of the early days of American cinema and among the best-known silent Western movies ever. Inspired by the real-life robberies of iconic Western figures like Butch Cassidy, this legendary 12-minute feature was an unprecedented success for the way it blended dynamic action with spectacular violence.Porter also claimed this was the first Western to tell a story, although film scholars have subsequently questioned the validity of this claim.
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is a silent film adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel. Directed by Frank Lloyd, the film stars Jackie Coogan as the titular orphan, who faces various hardships and encounters a cast of memorable characters, including Fagin, portrayed by Lon Chaney. The storyline follows Oliver’s journey from a workhouse to the streets of London, reflecting the themes of poverty and child exploitation central to Dickens' work.
The works of Charles Dickens have long been fodder for excellent movie adaptations, and this dates right back to the silent era withOliver Twiststarring Jackie Coogan. Having already left his mark on the movie industry with his starring role opposite Charlie Chaplin inThe Kidthe year before,Coogan’s role inOliver Twistsignaled him as one of the very first bona fide child stars. As a visually stunning silent film,Oliver Twistcaptured the spirit of the original novel, and its quality was only surpassed by David Lean’s extraordinary retelling in 1948.
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate is a silent drama directed by Charlie Chaplin featuring Edna Purviance as Marie St. Clair. The film tells the story of a woman who becomes involved with a wealthy bachelor while dealing with the emotional fallout from a past relationship. Revolutionary at the time for its straightforward and mature portrayal of complex romantic and social themes, it marked Chaplin’s pivot away from comedy.
Although Charlie Chaplin was primarily known for slapstick comedy, the legendary filmmaker tried his hand at a genuine drama withA Woman of Parisin 1923. Asthe only film of Chaplin’s in which he did not appear as an actor, this beautifully directed silent movie explored a woman torn between love and comfort after running into her former fiancé. While contemporary audiences who expected more of Chaplin’s signature comedic style were understandably disappointed byA Woman of Paris, modern viewers will be rewarded with a powerful romantic drama.
11The Ten Commandments (1923)
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille
Director Cecil B. DeMille may have felt the need to revisit his religious epicThe Ten Commandmentswith his iconic 1956 remake, which expanded on its story in scale and scope, but his original film was already an astounding achievement. As a retelling of the biblical story of the Exodus, DeMille pushed special effects to their absolute limit to believably depict Moses parting the Red Sea in a visually impressive scene, even by today’s standards. As a major box office hit at the time of its release,The Ten Commandmentswas a testament to the increasing potential of cinema in the 1920s.
8 Times A Director Remade Their Own Movie
Legendary directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Yasujirō Ozu and William Wyler have all improved their own movies at the second attempt, decades later.
Dr. Mabuse The Gambler
Dr. Mabuse The Gambler is a silent crime epic directed by Fritz Lang. Rudolf Klein-Rogge stars as Dr. Mabuse, a criminal mastermind who uses disguise and manipulation to dominate Berlin’s underworld. The film explores themes of control and corruption in post-World War I Germany, blending elements of thriller and psychological drama. Its intricate plot and stylistic innovations make it a significant entry in early 20th-century cinema.
As one of the most iconic names in German expressionism,Fritz Lang directed some of the most influential movies of all time, including his magnum opusMetropolisin 1927. However, even over 100 years ago, he was at the forefront of filmmaking with his incredible two-part mystery thriller about the arch-criminalDr. Marbus, the Gambler. This darkly twisted tale of a criminal mastermind with powers of mind control was a true less in style and substance that addressed the hyperinflation that had disseminated Germany in the aftermath of World War I.
9The Birth Of A Nation (1915)
Directed by D. W. Griffith
The Birth of a Nationwas one of themost controversial movies evermade for its racist depiction of African Americans as unintelligent sexual abusers of white women. This reprehensible and inflammatory content did not stop the film from being one of the most successful movies of all time when adjusted for inflation. Yet, despite the unquestionably horrific aspects of this silent epic,The Birth of a Nationwas also an extraordinary piece of filmmakingwhose technical excellence laid the groundwork for cinema to expand and improve.
Intolerance
D.W. Griffith’s epic interweaves tales of human cruelty across history: from warring factions in Babylon to the final days of Christ, slaughter in France under Catherine de Medici, and a wrongful conviction in California.
The censorship that director D. W. Griffith faced for his previous film,The Birth of a Nation, inspired him to explore the theme of prejudice in his follow-up feature,Intolerance. This was yet another tour de force of technical wonder as the three-and-a-half-hour epic intercut between four parallel storylines taking place from 539 BC right up to the year 1914. As a sprawling epic,Intolerancedid not have the same racial representation issues viewers had with Griffiths’s previous filmand was another extraordinary achievement in the art of filmmaking that helped inspire subsequent epics by later directors.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1923) is a silent film directed by Wallace Worsley, featuring Lon Chaney as Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral. Set in 15th-century Paris, the story revolves around Quasimodo’s devotion to the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda. The film is a classic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel, praised for its elaborate sets and Chaney’s memorable performance.
As the most successful film of 1923 (viaVariety),The Hunchback of Notre Damewas a fantastic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s iconic 1831 novel that featured an astounding performance by screen legendLon Chaney as Quasimodo. Chaney perfectly embodied the hideously deformed resident of Notre Dame Cathedral in the 15th century as director Wallace Worsley powerfully captured the sorrowful atmosphere of Paris in the past.The Hunchback of Notre Damewas an impressive piece of cinematic history that proved the eternal resonance of Hugo’s classic sorrowful story.
Häxan
Originally released in Sweden in 1922, Häxan is a documentary horror film that explores Witchcraft through various centuries across different continents, beginning with the Middle Ages.
The Swedish horrorHäxanblended documentary and narrative styles to chart the historical roots of witchcraft as caused by misunderstandings of mental or neurological disorders, which triggered mass hysteria. WhileHäxanwas widely censored for its graphic depiction of torture, nudity, and sexuality, it was also a striking modern film that utilized a trailblazing, unique style and impressive visual imagery to produce a film unlike anything else from its time. Asdirector Benjamin Christenensen’s masterpiece,Häxanwas equal parts an academic study around ancient fears, an experimental visual showcase, and a pioneering genre-bending trailblazer.
