If there is a decent silent film community or festival near you, I highly recommend attending a few screenings, with live music preferably. Watching a classic silent film on a huge screen, accompanied by great musicians, is an amazing experience.
That's what I did last week. Saw G.W. Pabst's "Diary of a Lost Girl," starring Louise Brooks, and Bu Wancang's "A Spray of Plum Blossoms" (一剪梅), starring Ruan Lingyu (阮玲玉). I first learnt of Ruan when I saw the movie about her starring Hong Kong movie star Maggie Cheung. They had clips of the original Ruan in the film. But I've never had a chance to actually see one of her films, so this was a treat.
A Snapshot in Time
I find it fascinating that almost all silent films come from this narrow period of time, roughly 1915 to 1930. The roaring 20s in Berlin, and the height of old Shanghai's "Paris of the Orient" heyday. People wanted to forget the horrors of WWI. There was a powerful sense of stepping away from the past into modernity. It was the period of the Dada movement, Art Deco, and Bauhaus design. The image of the Modern Woman was being created and celebrated. No more corsets or long, dowdy skirts! The short bob haircut was popularized by Louise Brooks, and in Shanghai, screen sensations like Ruan Lingyu modernized the cheongsam and turned it into a fashion trend in the East.
Crossing Borders
It is also interesting to see how international culture was around the world. Louise Brooks' character wore a robe with Japanese characters at some point. In "A Spray of Plum Blossoms," English intertitles followed the Chinese ones. And they weren't just bland subtitles—they were designed to fit the plot. For example, the intertitles for a "wanted" notice was done to look like a real "wanted" poster, like in a Western film.
Great Storytelling is Timeless
The best part of these films is that, for all their artistry, they do not fail to captivate and move you with great storytelling. For me, that's what films are all about—a great story that pulls you in, you become immersed in the characters' world, and you feel their struggles and hopes and dreams. And the best films can do that across time!
1 comment:
looking back into the past always gives me shocks. Shocks on how human was so intelligent and open minded. They really have a wider sight in seeing things than we do now. Having too much information nowadays, we tried to put everything we see into explanation fixing the scenery into the little boxes we have in our mind's storage...
I haven't seen this films before, but just for the 2 pics you posted, I can already feel the energy they have in it. I'm not sure for silent film, but did increase my want to see watch list!!
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