15 silent films that are still interesting to watch

15. Tenant

The lodger

• Great Britain, 1927.
• Thriller, detective.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

A serial killer who attacks young girls at night keeps the whole of London at bay. At the same time, in one of the houses where rooms are rented, a strange guest appears, very similar to a maniac.

First successful film Alfred Hitchcock considered the ancestor of the genre of thrillers in cinema. The director combined a detective story with a dark suspense, frightening the audience with only one shot without words.

14. Intolerance

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

• USA, 1916.
• Drama, historical.
• Duration: 163 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.7.

Four short stories tell about different historical periods. In ancient Judea, Christ is sent to be crucified, in Babylon the priests betray the king, in France in the 16th century, St. Bartholomew's Night takes place, and at the beginning of the 20th century, a strike begins in the United States. But all these plots are united by a common theme.

David Work Griffith created a large-scale canvas that influenced the development of cinema, and especially arthouse. The plots in the picture are shown not in a row, but in parallel, with the help of unusual editing transitions. At the same time, the director was one of the first to try to retell classic stories using the cinema language, and not just narrative techniques. Alas, at the time of release, the picture failed at the box office: to many, it seemed protracted and too complicated. But over time, "Intolerance" became truly legendary.

13. Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

• USA, 1925.
• Drama, adventure.
• Duration: 143 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.8.

Due to the false accusation, Prince Ben-Hur of Judea falls into slavery and becomes a rower in a Roman gallery. After the attack of pirates, the ship goes to the bottom and the hero rescues the drowning patrician Quintus Arria. In gratitude, he adopts the young man and brings up a real fighter out of him.

Ben-Hur largely laid the tradition of large-scale paintings in historical entourage. A huge $ 4 million was spent on production. But the expenses were justified, and over time, the rest of the film adaptations of the novel of the same name by Lew Wallace, and many other films began to quote scenes from this film.

 12. Artist

The artist

• France, Belgium, 2011.
• Drama, melodrama, comedy.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.9.

By the mid-1920s, the era of silent cinema is coming to an end. The talented actor George Valentine tries to admit the inevitability of change, but he can not get used to the new rules. The extra Pippi Miller, who is secretly in love with Valentine, helps him adapt to his progress.

All other films in this collection were released in the first half of the 20th century. But the picture "The Artist" was filmed in the early 2010s, stylizing it as a classic silent cinema. The original idea was appreciated not only by ordinary viewers. At the 2012 Oscars, The Artist took the Best Film award, beating such popular films as Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, War Horse Steven Spielberg and Keeper of Time by Martin Scorsese.

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11. Pandora's Box

Die Büchse der Pandora

• Germany, 1929.
• Drama, melodrama, crime.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.9.

Everyone around falls in love with the beautiful Lulu. True, this brings only misfortune to both her and her admirers. The lover of the heroine Ludwig Schön wants to get married with another girl, but the plans are upset and everything ends in tragedy. Then Lulu is put on trial, escapes directly from the meeting and becomes a victim of blackmail.

In the first years after the release, the picture of Georg Wilhelm Pabst was scolded: critics and spectators were embarrassed by a double moral and eroticism. And many more had an uncomfortable combination of psychological realism, expressionism and a bright Hollywood presentation. But it is all the more surprising that since the 1950s, Pandora's Box has been loved for exactly the same reasons: for its mixture of different styles and ambiguity. Since then, the painting with the magnificent Louise Brooks has been recognized as a classic.

10. Battleship "Potemkin"

• USSR, 1925.
• Drama, historical.
• Duration: 75 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.0.

The picture is dedicated to a real event - the uprising on the battleship "Prince Potemkin" in 1905. The sailors, outraged by the poor quality food, oppose the officers and seize the ship. Rebellious sentiments spread to the inhabitants of Odessa, but the military was released against the civilian population.

Sergei Eisenstein's painting at one time became a real breakthrough, who changed the cinema. The director did not build the action around specific characters, but showed a whole lot of people. In addition, he filmed the same event from different angles and experimented with editing. For example, by combining three frames, which depict different sculptures of lions, Eisenstein created the impression that even the statue jumps up in fright.

9. Wind

The wind

• USA, 1928.
• Thriller, drama, western.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

An impoverished Letty travels to Texas to her cousin Beverly. The girl gets along well with a relative and his children, and several fans fight for her location at once. But Letty is driven crazy by the wind that blows constantly in this state, and even blows the sand. And soon Beverly's wife, out of jealousy, forces the girl to leave.

"Wind" is the last silent film directed by MGM and the last Hollywood work by the Swedish director Viktor Sjöström. The picture subtly shows the growing madness the heroine, caused both by the collision with the cruelty of people, and by the obsessive wind. It turns out that even without sound, you can convey such deep experiences.

8. Sunrise

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

• USA, 1927.
• Drama, melodrama.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

The man (the names of the heroes are not named) decides to kill the Wife in order to continue the relationship with the Woman from the city. He goes on a boat trip with his wife and almost attacks his companion, but suddenly realizes that he wants to fix everything.

Sunrise is one of the first films with synchronized sound and music (but without words). The emotional story, filmed by the German Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau in Hollywood, captivated the audience. The film even received the only one in history "Oscar"A special award in the category" Unique and highly artistic picture ".

7. Finally safe!

Safety Last!

• USA, 1923.
• Comedy, thriller.
• Duration: 74 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

The young man moves to a big city and dreams of building a career. He works in a department store as a salesman, but writes to his girlfriend that he has already achieved a promotion. Soon, his beloved decides to come to visit - and the hero has to hide the real state of affairs with all his might.

The main role in this picture was played by the famous comedian Harold Lloyd - a master of difficult and dangerous stunts. It is in "Finally safe!" for the first time there was a legendary scene where a character hangs on the hand of a huge clock. Subsequently, her copied dozens of times.

6. Steam locomotive "General"

The general

• USA, 1926.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 67 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

In the United States, the Civil War begins, and the locomotive driver Johnny Gray tries to sign up as a volunteer. However, they do not take him into the army, and the hero is considered a coward. But when spies from the north hijack his train, the young man fearlessly starts after them, because his girlfriend remains in the boxcar.

The great silent comedian Buster Keaton directed one of the most difficult films of the era and, as usual, starred in it. There are many tricks in the picture that are still impressive. And the scene of the fall of the locomotive from the bridge did become dearest for its time.

5. The Passion of Jeanne d'Arc

La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc

• France, 1928.
• Drama, historical.
• Duration: 82 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

After Jeanne d'Arc led the French forces in the war against the British, she is arrested inquisition. The heroine is tortured to confess to witchcraft. But Jeanne is adamant even under pain of public execution.

Carl Theodor Dreyer's silent film is now considered one of the greatest creations of cinema. The director tried to show the action as realistic as possible: an almost real city was built for the entourage, and the actors were filmed without makeup. At the same time, Dreyer took close-ups of the face of Rene Falconetti, who played Jeanne d'Arc, for a significant part of the time. Therefore, the viewer perceives all the action through her emotions.

4. Dr. Caligari's office

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari

• Germany, 1920.
• Horror, thriller.
• Duration: 71 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

The young man Franz tells the story of his life to the senior interlocutor. Once he encountered the sinister Dr. Caligari. He claimed to have revealed the secret of somnambulism: he put his assistant to sleep for 23 years and made him obey the instructions. From this acquaintance, Franz's misadventures began.

The painting by Robert Wienet gave rise to the movement of German cinema expressionism. From the books of Hoffmann and the film "Golem" by Karl Böse and Paul Wegener, the director collected ideas about zombifying and controlling other creatures and transferred them to surrealistic distorted sets. This approach was later used by many Horror.

3. Metropolis

Metropolis

• Germany, 1927.
• Science fiction, drama.
• Duration: 145 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.3.

On the upper levels of the futuristic city of Metropolis, the wealthy enjoy a comfortable life. And the inhabitants of the lower classes must work to the edge of their ability to provide for the elite. But one day the son of the ruler of Metropolis Freder falls in love with a poor girl and decides to fight injustice.

One of the greatest examples of film expressionism was created by director Fritz Lang. He shot incredibly beautiful picture, the visual range and scenery of which are still impressive. Moreover, the author was able to touch upon topics that are relevant even in the 21st century: the stratification of society, the suppression of workers' rallies and provocations by the authorities.

2. Man with a movie camera

• USSR, 1929.
• Documentary.
• Duration: 68 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.4.

In that documentary the film does not have a specific plot or main characters. The director simply captures one day in the life of the city, showing different people and random events. Selected short stories are combined into a real symphony.

The Man with the Movie Camera was created by the Soviet avant-garde director Dziga Vertov. He promoted the idea that the camera should be an extension of the human eye. That is why, in one of his greatest works, the author simply observed the life of the city, using many advanced camera techniques.

1. Big city lights

City lights

• USA, 1931.
• Comedy, drama, melodrama.
• Duration: 87 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.5.

Little Tramp meets a blind girl who sells flowers. She mistakenly thinks that she has met a handsome rich man, and the hero does not dare to dissuade her. Having learned that the girl's eyesight can be restored with the help of an operation, the Tramp intends to raise money for treatment.

Of course, the list of great silent films could not be complete without the paintings of Charlie Chaplin. This director has shot many famous films and played in them himself. But his work is worthy of a separate compilations, and the general list can include "City Lights", which is considered one of the best romantic comedies in history. Here typical Chaplin jokes are combined with a beautiful story of love that overcomes any difficulties.

What silent films do you like? Do you like Chaplin and Keaton comedies, Vertov's avant-garde or Hitchcock's thrillers? Or maybe your favorite didn't make this list? Then tell us about it in the comments!