Early Movies

It's impossible to screen all the important and interesting early silent films.  But if you're into film, you should know these artifacts from the silent era:

The Lumiere Brothers invent the modern camera.  I think I mentioned the Arrival of the Train in class.

The first is George Melies', "A Trip to the Moon."  This particular version has been hand-tinted, a practice common in the early 20th century.  Imagine the creativity it takes to make something like this.  The forging of the spaceship; the lunar underground; crazy lobster aliens.  Many suggest this was the first Sci-Fi film.

The second is The Great Train Robbery.  This film is absolutely groundbreaking.  It was the first film to employ a variety of complex editing techniques.  And it set the standard for framing shots, moving action from background to foreground.  And the last scene is iconic.  If you watch carefully and critically, you will see how this film continues to shape the entire genre of action/western films.

Rather than show Modern Times, which we'll watch in class, here is Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr., also one of my favorites.  This is the first movie to incorporate a dream sequence.  And it's done superbly.  This film is really, really funny.

Enjoy!