The Parade’s Gone By…[1968/76] – ★★★★
Today (29th September) is the National Silent Movie Day, celebrating early cinema and raising awareness about film preservation, and I am reviewing this non-fiction book on silent cinema by film historian Kevin Brownlow (1938-).
Safety Last! (1923), Sherlock Jr. (1924), Greed (1924), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Metropolis (1927), Sunrise (1927), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), City Lights (1931) – these are some of the greatest films ever made, and they are all silent. Brownlow’s argument is simple: silent film is not some primitive, crude relic of a bygone era, but part of the richest tradition in cinema history. It is a unique mode of cinematic expression, and should be preserved and cherished in its own right. In the book, Brownlow alternates chapters on the craft of silent film-making (camerawork, editing, acting, etc.) with the insights into individual directors and actors, producing an intelligent, eye-opening book.
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