Films of the Silent Film era. For the most part, they are simple, basic, and don' t have much to them. If you look at some of the films like, for example, "The Kiss", there is literally nothing to them. At the time though, in a world where movies were new, it would have been amazing, fascinating, and probably was worth the money paid to see it. But unfortunately, because of the new technologies and advances in theater you see now a days, with the amazing graphics, intense plot, and even 3D technology? It is nothing. All artistic simplicity, all appreciation for the simplest things, has been forgotten. Everything has to be intense, flashy, attention-grabbing. The criteria for a "good movie" is so high up, we have forgotten to even appreciate the idea of it all. For my opinion on the movies in this time period... considering the time they were in, I can come to appreciate them. Their simplicity, and the idea of the fascination of the people when they went to see it for the first time, makes me have some sort of appreciation towards them. These were the movies that brought us to where we are today. They may be lacking fancy effects, colour, sound? But they are the milestones that brought us to where we are today.
Granted, would a silent film like we watched in class be seen today, with our raised bar of what we have been told is "quality" and "a good flim", no one would come to appreciate it. No one would spent the time or the money. Sure there is nothing to them but the basic excitement of seeing a film for the first time (for when they were first released), but you have to appreciate the leaps and bounds that had been made to come from those films to the ones we see today. Not only that, but in films we see today, it leaves nothing to the imagination. It tells you when the characters meet, what they do, how they act, how they end up. It doesn't leave us wondering what will happen, what did happen, and what could happen. Like in "The Kiss", the couple could have millions of stories behind them. They could be on their 30th anniversary, they could be putting on a happy mask to hide their true feelings, they could be anything! There is just so many options and ideas that we could infer from it. Movies in the modern day, they share all details and leave nothing for the imagination. Like a lot of things you see now a days, it is just given to you. Here's this movie, this is what happens, and that's all there is to it. Everything is premade, prepackaged, pre-thought out, just like these movies. There is nothing unique or exciting to them. It's all the same, and what you see is all you get. When you look at the old movies, with their simplicity, it leaves you wondering, thinking. It gives you time to think about what you've seen and infer whatever you want from it. In that sense, and historically, they are incredible. But when you contrast them against modern day films in the view of almost anyone on earth? They are nothing, unless we can come to appreciate the artistic simplicity of them.
For example, The Kiss. Contrast it against modern day romances, with tension, plot, different scene, and timelines reaching throughtout years at a time? There is nothing to it. Some might even find it unattractive to watch because the featured people are older, and not youthful like you find now a days. But, from my perspective, I can appreciate the simplicity of it, and it comes off almost artistic to me.
Another example, the Train Robbery. If you contrast it against the Action/Adventure films that come out in our modern day, it is dull and eventless. Were we in the time period? They would've been exciting, thrilling, scary even! They weren't used to seeing such action in their every day lives.
And lastly, the trip to the moon. Of course it's unrealistic, and doesn't make much sense. But it is exciting, full of adventure of the unknown. We now know what is on the moon and almost all the details to it, but they didn't back then, so imagine the excitement to see the concept of what could be there, for the first time.
These silent films, they do have interest historically, for they are milestones to where we are today, but, with the right eye watching them, they can be works of art in their simplicity, and their ideas that leave much to the imagination.
