Well, I saw my first full-length silent film, The Farmer's Wife directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It was interesting to say the least. There were lots of boring parts, where you just want to scream, "Get on with it! What's the next scene?!" But, once you get into it, you can start to appreciate (maybe by viciously hating) the exorbitant pauses on facial expressions and the exaggerated emotional gestures.
And, for the record, there is nothing like an awkward silence as the awkward silence in a silent movie.
The most awkward way to end silence is with another silent expression.
Wow, interesting place to start . . . How did you happen to watch it? I remember rather enjoying that one, but it's waaay longer than it ought to be. Silent film is a far vaster and richer field than almost anyone realizes now, and I've barely begun to scratch its surface myself, but if you're remotely interested in some good silent film, check these out:
ReplyDeleteFaust
Metropolis
The General
The Lodger
Broken Blossoms
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Nosferatu
Battleship Potemkin
City Lights
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