From silent film to talkies

Silent film first and foremost required a special talent for actors to possess: emotional expression. Because they could not express, Wow! Ahh, hmm with words or tones, they had to express these feeling through body language. Some actors were exceptionally talented at this, such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Unlike Chaplin however, Keaton managed to entertain with far fewer facial expressions. He was nicknamed “The Great Stoneface.”

When the integration of sound first came most filmmakers simply wanted to add sound to their existing movie making methods. Filmmakers soon discovered that changes were needed, such as: sound-proofing sets, silencing camera motors and the inclusion of new technical talents. Since dialog (written) was minimal in silent films, this too brought a re-invented segment to film production, screen-writers. The voice sometimes made or broke actors’ careers. John Gilbert, for example saw his career fade before him with the advent of sound. His high-tenor voice did not match the public’s perception of him as a romantic hero.

Music has always played an integral role in movies. During the silent film era, music was incorporated via live orchestras and sometime big band scores. The cooperation between the actors and musicians was vital. With the introduction of sound in film, came the disappearance of live orchestras. Many musicians were sent packing.

Films today would profit from including some of the characteristics of silent film. All too often, modern films rely on whimsical special effects and dialog alone to accomplish their goals. The recent science fiction film Distric-9 is an example of a potentially great movie derailed by amongst other things, lack of expressional (good) acting. Although there are many techniques that could be borrowed from silent film, the advent of synchronized sound did make silent films (features) nearly obsolete. Examples of silent films (shorts) can still be found in cartoons and animated shorts, like those made famous by Pixar Studios. It is possible however that we will see silent films re-invented. The latest film that exemplifies this possibility is Wall-E. Although, not without sound, nearly the entire first half of Wall-E is without dialogue.

Films comes at you from all directions: Actors expressions (believability,) script, special effects, musical scores, sets and more. A good film makes all of these elements work together. If one element is lacking, another must make up for it. Films are supposed to sweep us off our feet and introduce us to an alternate reality. Make us love, loath, fear or celebrate our new reality. Many films, most in fact, don’t accomplish this goal. When they do however, I can’t think of time better spent.