best film: Intolerance from Griffith – It’s easily the greatest example of cinema as art to date in 1916 and wouldn’t be topped throughout the rest of the decade. It is one of cinemas historically great achievements of editing as well. The crane shot of the Babylon sequence is stunning (you can’t overstate it—one of the finest 20 seconds in cinema history) and the narrative structure and parallel editing was so sophisticated it’s still being used today by the likes of Christopher Nolan and others. Its size (sets, story, narrative complexity, extras, and camera choices) is just so breathtaking. It’s big, ballsy cinema.
The crane shot of the Babylon sequence is stunning (you can’t overstate it—one of the finest 20 seconds in cinema history)
most underrated: Cabiria from Pastrone. It isn’t on the TSPDT consensus top 2000 and I’m baffled by that. Perhaps nobody has seen it? Perhaps- it took me forever to get to it. It is easily going to land in my top 1000 when I update it next.
- It doesn’t diminish Griffith, Birth of a Nation or Intolerance, but the brilliance and scope of Giovanni Pastrone’s Cabiria is more evidence to the fact that cinema, and the fiction feature, is and was a progression of technological, narrative, and stylistic innovations— and this is a big, significant, successful step in that progression
- Shot in episodes or chapters like a novel—and Pastrone’s work clearly has novelistic ambitions and characteristics (both good and bad). It is smart, heavy, dense, high-brow dialogue (and lots of it)—which is interruptive. Complex character connections, wide-ranging locations and a decently sized ensemble. Pastrone expected much from his audience- a good thing overall.
- The volcano set piece is a wow—and for effect, and artistry, Pastrone puts people running in the foreground. A very nice shot.
The volcano set piece is a wow—and for effect, and artistry, Pastrone puts people running in the foreground. A very nice shot.
- The narrative is intricate. There’s fate involved as we follow the travels, trials and tribulations of a stolen girl, the rescue mission after the volcano destroys her city (strong shots of structures and set pieces collapsing). This film is action-filled and violent. Engaging.
- The temple of moloch set piece is extremely imposing and awe-inspiring.
The temple of moloch set piece is extremely imposing and awe-inspiring.
- The décor matches the ambition on the narrative and set pieces—Pastrone infuses every scene with highly designed period detail. Religious costumes, opulence, torches in some frames—big and impressive. Luxury. It successfully transports.
the décor matches the ambition on the narrative and set pieces—Pastrone infuses every scene with highly designed period detail. Religious costumes, opulence, torches in some frames—big and impressive. Luxury. It successfully transports.
- Temple of Doom-type stuff- sacrifice
- Like Intolerance there are so much shots with like 100 extras moving in the background—we’re on mountain ranges. The size of this is so impressive- from Griffith to DeMille, to Lean and Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson
- Pastrone moves the camera effectively as well.
- Miniatures in use—like the Roman fleet burning scene
- An actual human pyramid scene with shields as they scale a wall.
- Wide-ranging again—instead of snow in the mountains later we have some great shots of the camels in long shot across the desert. Wow. Magic hour shot with a string of camels on the horizon
- A massive battle — scaling a big wall like Two Towers
- Advertised (in a time when films were all shorts) of being a film of “12,000 shots”.
most overrated: Broken Blossoms from Griffith. It’s ranked #267 on TSPDT all-time and that’s just too lofty. It’s ballyhooed by critics because of the nuanced story of lovers from difference races (it was Griffith’s “apology” for Birth of a Nation but it doesn’t pack half the cinematic style that either Birth or Intolerance do.
gem I want to spotlight: Blind Husbands by von Stroheim is woefully underrated as well. It’s an incredibly promising debut film
trends and notables: Obviously this era is dominated by epic filmmakers- mainly Griffith and DeMille (and a stunning debut by von Stroheim). Von Stroheim would become THE epic filmmaker of the 1920’s and he studied under Griffith first hand (acting in Birth of a Nation and Intolerance). These three actually share quite as bit as they’re best known for making wide-reaching (and expensive) historical epics. DeMille wasn’t half the artist Griffith was but there’s much to admire in their ambition in this early era.
best performance male: There isn’t a ton to choose from here but I’ll go with Richard Barthelmess sensitive performance in Griffith’s Broken Blossoms.
best performance female: It is Lillian Gish by a mile—and not just in one performance—but two. Her work in The Birth of a Nation and Broken Blossoms are #1 and #2, male or female, for the decade. Intolerance is more like Potemkin or Dunkirk being an ensemble so there isn’t a big performance to single out
top 10
- Intolerance
- The Birth of a Nation
- Cabiria
- Broken Blossoms
- Blind Husbands
- Male and Female
- The Cheat
Archives, Directors, and Grades
| 1914 | |
| Cabiria– Pastrone | MS |
| 1915 | |
| The Birth Of A Nation- Griffith | MP |
| The Cheat- DeMille | HR |
| 1916 | |
| Intolerance – Griffith | MP |
| 1919 | |
| Blind Husbands- von Stroheim | HR |
| Broken Blossoms- Griffith | HR/MS |
| Male and Female- DeMille | HR |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-See- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
Have you considered extending backward from 1915 at all? Is anything by Melies archivable in your estimation? Surely Feuillade must be. I don’t have the source but I believe Bordwell considers Fantomas (1913) the first masterpiece in cinema and an incredibly important work in the development of film style (the early deep focus counterpoint to Griffith’s editing innovations).
@Matt Harris Yes, I have. Just earlier this month I caught Cabiria and was very impressed- added it to the archives http://thecinemaarchives.com/2020/04/13/cabiria-1914-pastrone/
I do plan on tracking down Meiles (though I don’t really include many shorts in the archives and am happy with that choice) and Feuillade. I want to see Fantomas. Bordwell calling it a masterpiece is good enough for me. I’d just have to make an investment at this point since I don’t see it on any of my normal 10-12 sources (which already cost a small fortune every month).
hey Drake. Do you think it’s nice that Griffith moved on from his racist-way of thinking to a become a better person? A lot of his other films after 1916 seem to be apologies and none of them show racism anymore.
Anyways, with the exception of Cabiria, have you seen any other films from the late 1880s-1914? Matt Harris is correct when he recommends Feuillade. I think he was a great director. a lot of movies from the late 1800s-1914 are nice movies though none of them can really compare to the kind of great movies that we have today. I still think you may like them and a lot of the movies are available on Youtube.
muybridge was a genius. the inventor of this great art form. george melies was in my opinion the first master filmmaker. funny he was a magician
So nothing on the years second best film The birth of a nation(1915)?
Will Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood(1922) make the 1922 year end archives?
Will it?Have you seen it?
Hey Drake, 2 questions about silent film. I hope you could answer them. since you said you took some film courses in the past so I’d assume you’d know about cinematic history.
1) When we watch a silent film, are there usually many versions of the film score? I know Passion of Joan of Arc has several soundtracks but are most silent movies like that?
I know musicians would play live at the initial screenings in the early 20th centruy, but was it always the same soundtrack??? Did most of the soundtracks survive in their original form (for famous silent classics that did survive like metropolis, joan and more) or are there slight changes? If I watched a silent movie like Joan with a different soundtrack than you did, does that mean we watched different movies or just a different version of the same movie???
2) I know its a stretch but would you consider the Lumiere brothers as the first filmmakers/auteurs? They have a couple of films that are almost on the consensus top 1000. I know that you consider those films to be unarchievable since they border on documentary and are shorts. However, many people say it may be the birth of cinema and the first proper movie.
@Azman
1. Most do not have many versions of the film score. Many of the original scores did not survive. I would not say you watched a different movie than me if we watched the same one with a different score.
2. So, largely, this is a website dedicated to feature narrative cinema. So the lumiere brothers aren’t on here– either is muybridge and leaving them off is intentional– though not an insult– it is just a different category. For a long time I thought Griffith was the first– but many were achieving similar breakthroughs at or around the same time including Pastrone with Cabiria which is the year before Birth of a Nation. I haven’t had a chance to find/see them yet but Louis Feuillade is also credited around this time frame (at or even before Patrone and Griffith).
azman have you heard of muybridge. i consider him the first director. also, i was wondering if you have seen intolerance. if not, it will blow you away. amazing film, and i think it may be better than 2001, gone with the wind and metropolis, seventh seal, and citizen kane, and other movies i consider to be among the very best. the performances from howard gaye, mae marsh, miriam cooper and robert harron are expressive works of mastery and griffith’s emotive genius and mise en scene are still barely matched today. armond white, vincent canby and pauline kael all consider the greatest film of all time, and i may be inclined to join the club
Really? Pauline kael has stated several times that menilmontant is her favorite movie. Just search ‘menilmontant pauline kael’ on google.
i think that is her favorite, but she recognized intolerance as the greatest. thkis is her review-“INTOLERANCE is one of the two or three most influential movies ever made, and I think it is also the greatest.”
Are you planning to watch Les Vampires (1915) from L. Feuillade?
I’m just finishing them, and they pretty amazing, they are also in 1001 Movies You Need to Watch Before You Die, and I can see why.
@RujK- I do plan on catching it. Where did you find it? The Youtube quality looks solid.
Yes, I watched it on YouTube, and quality is decent but sometimes reading is little hard, but it is still very enjoyable experience.
Rujk- This is great- appreciate the heads up. I may take the plunge soon.
Since watching Les Vampires, do you believe Musidora deserves a mention in the actress category here as Irma Vep? I was thoroughly impressed by her work there more than any other actor in the serial. She plays so many facets of wickedness – you get her leering at the camera with that dark eye make up, but then she also projects this quiet, sinister presence in her multiple disguises as well. A truly unsettling and unforgettable cinematic villain.
@DeclanG- I know you didn’t ask me, but I totally agree. She simply gives one of the best performances of 1910s (and 1920s). Unhinged, idiosyncratic and delightfully evil.
@DeclanG- Interesting. Though the acting is not a major season for the artistic triumph of Feuillade’s Les vampires, I do think Musidora’s work is the strongest in the film.
You you haven’t seen Fantomas yet, you can watch it on Youtube. All five episodes are available in very good quality.
@Alt Mash- Great- found it. Good looking out. Thank you.
@Drake – just managed to watch all of Fantomas and immediately came to your site after to see if there was anything on it. Curious if you had an opportunity to watch it yet, and if you have, what did you think grade wise?
@LeBron Smith- I have not taken the plunge yet. I think I earmarked a decent youtube version of it last fall to check and have it in my favorites. What did you think?
@Drake – I thought it was excellent – leaning MS after one viewing. I think Les vampires is probably the superior film, but Fantomas is definitely strong.