THE WHAT, WHY, WHEN, AND WHO OF SILENT FILMS

Before talking pictures were born, stories had to be conveyed through gestures, expressions, and music. The era of silent film was the birthplace of cinema as we know it today. From slapstick comedy to epic dramas, silent cinema not only entertained but also laid the foundation for modern filmmaking techniques. It proved that powerful storytelling doesn’t always need words.

But what was silent film? Why was it silent? When did it come about? Who were the big names in the industry? Let’s take a quiet look back at silent film to find out!

THE WHAT

A silent film is, as the name suggests, a movie without recorded sound. That includes synchronized dialogue, sound effects, and soundtracks. So, how was the story told? A clever mix of acting and editing for a pure visual storytelling experience.

Actors used (often exaggerated) facial expressions and body language in a mime-like performance. Pointing hard at a watch and glaring meant someone was late…hands up with the palms out and shaking the head meant 'stop'...and...well, you get the picture.

Editors also had a hand in it. With subtitles and intertitles (screen titles that appeared between actions or scenes and presented character dialogue or commentary on the action), editors helped guide audiences through the story, creating a recognizable narrative.

However, just because they had no synchronized recorded soundtrack didn’t mean there was never sound at all. Many silent films had music thanks to live performances. Orchestras and pianists often accompanied the film in theaters. Particularly for longer films, they would play during comedic or dramatic moments to lend more humor, suspense, or sadness to a scene.

THE WHY

So, silent films were silent. Why? Because technology to record sound and video simultaneously didn’t exist yet. Cameras were able to capture video, and projectors were able to play it. Tape recorders could record and play back sound. But there wasn’t a way to capture both simultaneously so that the audio and video could play in sync.

However, there was a major benefit to silent films being silent: they didn’t have a language barrier. Without any spoken dialogue, there was no need to worry about issues in translation. The intertitles could be easily swapped out to the correct language as well. Silent films, regardless of their country of origin, worked well in theaters, popularizing cinema and helping spread film across the world.

THE WHEN

Silent films reigned for quite a few years! They were the standard from the late 1800s to the late 1920s. The first silent film debuted in 1888; Roundhay Garden, filmed by Louis Le Prince, was a whopping two seconds long. But considering it’s the earliest surviving motion picture, it does deserve acclaim.

But if we’re talking about a feature-length film, then the first silent movie is The Story of the Kelly Gang. Made in Australia in 1906, this silent film about the bushranger Ned Kelly was over an hour long, which proved that silent films could be used to show full-length stories, instead of something that today we would assume is a GIF.

But then in 1927, the art of cinematography changed forever with the first “talkie” (film with sound) movie. Called The Jazz Singer, it had synchronized dialogue, captivating audiences and introducing the era of sound.

THE WHO

I would be remiss not to mention some of the big names in silent film. After all, when “silent film” is mentioned, most minds automatically turn to a true genius: Charlie Chaplin.

Charlie Chaplin was the legendary silent comedian actor. He could express the plot through body language and facial expression in a way that few others could hope to achieve. No one made an entrance like him. Many of his silent film hits, like Getting Acquainted (1914), The Pawnshop (1916), and The Immigrant (1917), were even directed by him. Mr. Charles Chaplin will forever be the hallmark of silent film.

But there are others who deserve acclaim too, of course. Henry Bergman, an actor and assistant director, was in quite a few films alongside Charlie Chaplin. The two had great comedic timing and worked well off one another. Then the talented Gladys Louise Smith, known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a pioneer in the film industry and one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era. And “Baby Peggy,” or Diana Serra Cary, the child film actress who was the last surviving person with a substantial career in silent film; she passed away only 15 years ago in 2020 at the age of 101.

SUMMARY

Silent film is no longer the norm, but it isn’t dead. When talkies became mainstream, studios and theaters rushed to upgrade their equipment to match. Silent film stars either retired or made the transition into talking pictures. A hundred years later and those talkies are still our standard for mainstream media.

But there is a place for silent film in the 21st century. The Artist, a 2011 French black-and-white silent film that follows silent movie star George and dancer Peggy during a time when talkies began overtaking the industry, was a hit beloved by both critics and audiences. Then All is Lost, a drama starring Robert Redford as a man stranded alone at sea, takes inspiration from silent film with near-zero dialogue and only one character who has to convey nearly everything through facial expression and body language alone. Then still others like Blancanieves (2012) and Mad God (2021) illustrate just how impactful silent cinematography still is today.

Thanks for reading! Do you have a favorite silent film? If so, drop us a comment below! We’d love to hear which you think is the best. Have a great day!