Defining Movies in Pre-1930's Cinema

Clip 1: The Great Train Robbery (1903)

Produced by Thomas Edison but directed and filmed by Edison Company employee Edwin S. Porter, "The Great Train Robbery" was the first narrative movie, one that told a story. Only a little more than 10 minutes in total running time, this one-reeler was comprised of a number of innovative techniques which are considered standards by today's generation of filmmakers (Rosenberg 2012).

When one thinks of the simple technology available in 1903, Porter’s use of cross cuts and film on location can be appreciated more greatly. Porter definitely accomplished more in this 10 minute film than many directors do in feature lengths today.

Clip 2: The Birth of a Nation (1915)

D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" is one of the most influential and controversial films in the history of American cinema. Set during and after the American Civil War, the film was based on Thomas Dixon's "The Clansman", a novel and play, and is important in film history for its innovative technical and narrative achievements, and for its status as the first Hollywood "blockbuster" (Moore 2005).

It is also hugely controversial, both in its own day and today, for its promotion of white supremacism and glorification of the Ku Klux Klan. The clip above is one of the many notorious scenes in this film involving the Ku Klux Klan clad as knights and riding to the rescue of the besieged families. Note the complex narrative language, from angles and distance of shots, to the rhythm of the edits in cross-cutting and cutting from long shots to close-ups, etc.

Clip 3: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Subtle and ingenious, "The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari" was literally years ahead of its time and remains a triumphant accomplishment in the genre of German Expressionism. Told mainly from the point of view of Francis, a young man who lives in the small village of Holstenwall, Germany, "Cabinet" tells the tale of murder and madness which seems to accompany the arrival of a carnival.

Remembered mainly for its stunning sets, which featured crooked buildings and twisted landscapes, "Cabinet" also boasts one of the first attempts at a twist ending, something quite new and shocking for its time (Bolton 2011). In the clip above, the viewer comes to learn that Francis is actually insane, and that the “reality” which we saw was, in fact, nothing more than a madman’s delirium.

Clip 4: Nosferatu (1922)

To watch F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu'' is to see the vampire movie before it had really seen itself. Here is the story of Dracula before it was buried alive in cliches, jokes, TV skits, cartoons and more than 30 other films (Ebert 1997).

Based somewhat loosely on Bram Stoker's Dracula, this movie takes a different approach to the Count. Named Count Orlok in this movie, the Count is not at all like Bram Stoker's creation: smooth, charismatic, and noble. No, Count Orlok is just plain creepy. The scene above, with its clever use of suspense and effective camerawork, is still arguably scarier than the majority of the blood and gore that passes for horror today.

Clip 5: Metropolis (1927)

Fritz Lang's last major silent film, “Metropolis” enriched cinema in years to come with its innovative techniques, futuristic sets and Expressionistic production design, and allegorical study of the class system (Dale 2010).

For a 1927 silent film, "Metropolis" holds up extremely well by today’s standards of story-telling, special effects, and theme. It holds up because it still retains the power to entertain and mesmerize with its ability to look into the future with an exacting, imaginative eye. It crafts potent, unforgettable images with fantastic special effects and paved the way for science fiction films ranging from "Blade Runner" to "Star Wars" and beyond.

References

BOLTON, R., 2011. Something Sour, Something Sweet: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) [online]. The Saint Rose Chronicle. Available from:
http://strosechronicle.com/wordpress/something-sour-something-sweet-the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-1919/ [Accessed: 2 March 2012]

DALE, A., 2010. Metropolis: 80 years old and still ahead of our time [online]. The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. Available from:
http://dailycollegian.com/2010/09/21/metropolis-80-years-old-and-still-ahead-of-our-time/ [Accessed: 2 March 2012]

EBERT, R., 1997. Nosferatu [online]. Chicago Sun-Times. Available from:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970928/REVIEWS08/401010345/1023 [Accessed:  1 March 2012]
 
MOORE, K.M., 2005. The History of ‘The Birth of a Nation’ [online]. The Harvard Crimson. Available from:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/3/10/the-history-of-the-birth-of/ [Accessed: 2 March 2012]

ROSENBERG, J., 2012. First Silent Movie: The Great Train Robbery [online]. About.com. Available from:
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1900s/qt/trainrobbery.htm [Accessed: 2 March 2012]