Thursday, April 1, 2010

Greed

I really enjoyed seeing my first "silent film" today. It was hard for me to take it seriously though, because I was constantly reminded of cartoons. The old Loony-Tunes where the picture fades out or gets smaller reminded me of the way the screen blacked out to put emphasis on one character. To add to the cartoon feel, the actors over-played their actions and showed dramatic emotion on their faces that we do not see in modern film, or in real life. For example, the scene at the wedding when the couple was looking at their gifts and the guests were standing around was very funny. It was at a slightly faster speed than real-life and when the man started spanking the children it added to it. However funny and odd it seemed at first, the dramatic actors played the parts well and for a good reason. With no sound, they have to portray the film somehow and the only way they can is through their expressions. Once I got used to it, it was actually very dark, sad and ominous.

1 comment:

  1. Watching silent film is a different experience, Allie, but once you get used to the conventions, these films can convey a lot--as you say, this one was "dark, sad, and ominous." The second half of the film lacks those comic moments that you mention.

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