Cinema Europe

July 7, 2007 8:47 AM

Cinema EuropeExtraordinary documentary series from the 1990s narrated by Kenneth Branagh which quietly demonstrates that most of anything you thought you knew about early cinema is wrong (embedded Google Videos).
posted by feelinglistless (23 comments total)

Hm, a documentary about silent films sounds rather forbidding.
Is it an interesting documentary for anybody who isn't a silent film nut to start with?
posted by jouke at 9:26 AM on July 7, 2007

It's a great series, and because the narration tells you what to look for and what's interesting about each film discussed, you don't have to be a silent film nut to appreciate it. I'm continually surprised (although I should know better by now) by how great some silent films are. I recently watched Evgenii Bauer's first film, Twilight of a Woman's Soul, and was shocked to find myself so involved that I was yelling advice to the people onscreen.
posted by goatdog at 9:36 AM on July 7, 2007

You needn't be specifically a silent film nut to enjoy this series. If you are at all interested in the history of cinema, you will enjoy it.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:39 AM on July 7, 2007

Turner Movie Classics shows silent films late Sunday nights.
I love the clown tragedies with Lon Chaney Jr.
posted by doctorschlock at 9:39 AM on July 7, 2007

Ooops, I mean Lon Chaney Sr.
posted by doctorschlock at 9:40 AM on July 7, 2007

Wow, wow, wow - great FPP - thanks a lot!

I've really enjoyed the Treasures of American Film and this is a good companion.
posted by mctsonic at 10:11 AM on July 7, 2007

so involved that I was yelling advice to the people onscreen.

and did they take it ?
posted by sgt.serenity at 10:21 AM on July 7, 2007

1 ㈀ 2 ㈁ 3 ㈂ 4 ㈃ 5 ㈄ 6 ㈅
posted by acro at 10:42 AM on July 7, 2007 [2 favorites]

Terrific, thank you.
posted by muckster at 10:50 AM on July 7, 2007

and did they take it ?

Yes, happily, they did. Good thing for them, too.
posted by goatdog at 11:11 AM on July 7, 2007

I just finished the first part. This is really good , and I look forward to the next five parts. Wonderful find feelinglistless !
posted by nola at 12:32 PM on July 7, 2007

Makes me wonder when Mike & Kevin are gonna get around to the silent film era.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:51 PM on July 7, 2007

Kevin Brownlow, who made this, is responsible for a number of documentaries about and restorations of silent movies, including Unknown Chaplin, which contains one sequence (an outtake from City Lights involving a piece of wood stuck in a grating) that I rank among my Funniest Things of All Time (rolling on the floor, fighting for breath funny), although YMMV.

If this floats your boat, you're best advised to seek out his (formidable) back catalogue.
posted by Grangousier at 1:00 PM on July 7, 2007

Also a filmmaker in his own right - It Happened Here, an alternate history in which the Nazis successfully invaded Britain, which began as a collaboration between an 18-year-old Brownlow and Andrew Mollo (at that time a 16-year-old history buff), and Winstanley, about the Levellers during the English Revolution/Civil War/Whatever they're calling it these days.
posted by Grangousier at 1:12 PM on July 7, 2007

Just finished the second part. This really is wonderful.
posted by nola at 3:15 PM on July 7, 2007

For anyone in San Francisco, the Castro is having a Silent Film Festival right now.
posted by vacapinta at 4:14 PM on July 7, 2007

/off topic, related---
[NyTimes Obituary]

Edward Yang, 59, Director Prominent in New Taiwan Cinema, Is Dead.
posted by acro at 7:55 PM on July 7, 2007

Yi Yi (Yang, 2000) trailer
posted by acro at 8:37 PM on July 7, 2007

Seconding Grangousier. Every Brownlow and Gill documentary I've seen about early cinema has been outstanding.
posted by pmurray63 at 7:50 AM on July 8, 2007

This has made my day!
posted by MonkNoiz at 10:09 AM on July 8, 2007

I just watched the Swedish section. Astonishingly beautiful although I really shouldn't have been surprised.

Thanks for the link!
posted by Touch at 10:33 AM on July 8, 2007

which quietly demonstrates that most of anything you thought you knew about early cinema is wrong

How so? I saw this years ago (on TVO) and yes, it's great, but it didn't at all demonstrate that most of anything i thought I knew (and indeed know) about early cinema was wrong.
posted by juiceCake at 8:47 PM on July 8, 2007

Here's the really great thing. Many silent films are now public domain. And the Internet Archive has a really great selection, downloadable in various resolutions/formats. So if this documentary whets your appetite, you can go beserk at: http://www.archive.org/details/movies
posted by jimmyjimjim at 9:53 PM on July 9, 2007