Best Silent Films

From Charles Chaplin, starring Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers
Rated G

City Lights is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The story follows a tramp as he falls in love with a flower girl, who is mistakenly believed to be a millionaire. After he helps her out of a number of difficult situations, the tramp discovers that she is actually penniless. In order to make her dreams come true, he sacrifices his own happiness, and the tramp and the flower girl go their separate ways. The film is widely praised for its comedic sequences, and its emotional ending has been called one of the most moving scenes in all of cinema.

From Fritz Lang, starring Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Rated Not Rated

Metropolis is a 1927 silent film directed by Fritz Lang. Set in a futuristic urban dystopia, the film follows the struggles of Freder, the son of the city's wealthy leader, and Maria, a poor worker, as they strive to bridge the gap between the upper and lower classes. Through a series of events, Freder and Maria attempt to bring peace to Metropolis, which is being threatened by a mad scientist's invention. In the end, Freder and Maria's efforts restore balance to the city, and the wealthy and the poor are united in harmony.

From Charles Chaplin, starring Charles Chaplin, Merna Kennedy, Al Ernest Garcia, Harry Crocker
Rated Passed

The Circus is a 1928 silent comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's iconic Little Tramp character as he gets mixed up with a traveling circus. After accidentally causing a commotion, he is hired by the circus owner and is soon center stage, dazzling the audience with his slapstick antics. However, the circus is in financial trouble and the Little Tramp must come up with a plan to save it. With plenty of laughs and a few tender moments, The Circus is a classic Chaplin film.

From Sergei Eisenstein, starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barskiy, Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Ivan Bobrov
Rated Not Rated

Battleship Potemkin is a classic silent film by Russian director Sergei Eisenstein. Set during the 1905 Russian Revolution, the film follows the crew of the battleship Potemkin, who revolt against their oppressive officers. After the mutiny, the sailors sail to the port city of Odessa where they are joined by the townspeople in a spontaneous revolt against the Tsar's troops. The climax of the movie is the famous Odessa Steps sequence, where the Tsar's soldiers massacre the civilians. In the end, the uprising is crushed but the courage of the sailors and citizens is remembered. Battleship Potemkin is a powerful portrayal of an uprising and an important milestone in the development of film editing and narrative structure.

From D.W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, Mae Marsh, F.A. Turner
Rated Passed

Intolerance is a 1916 epic silent film directed by D.W. Griffith. The film follows four separate stories set in different times and places throughout history, all of which demonstrate the destructive power of intolerance. The stories include the fall of Babylon, the life of Jesus, the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, and a contemporary drama about a young couple struggling to survive in an intolerant society. The film was a groundbreaking achievement in film-making, pioneering new cinematic techniques such as intercutting, double exposures, and close-ups. Intolerance is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time and is an important milestone in the development of the art form.