The 1920s was an incredible time for the film industry. In its infancy, films had come a long way in only a few decades. The 1920s are remarkable for the advent of sound films and also in 1927, The Academy Awards were first given. It is remarkable how groundbreaking this decade was, and with that in mind, I give you my top 10 favorite films of the 1920s.
10. Nanook of the North-1922-Robert J. Flaherty
Director Robert J. Flaherty investigated the life of an Eskimo and his family for an entire year in what is strongly considered to be the first ever documentary. Nanook of the North is an enthralling film. To this Eskimo family, their everyday actions seem normal and commonplace, but to the audience, many of whom had never known how they lived, it was remarkable. And that is exactly what documentary film should be: showing the true life or true story of something and educating about something you have never known. Werner Herzog has become a sort of spiritual successor to Flaherty, but this first view of man vs. nature with such unflinching realism is one of the first and greatest documentaries of all time.
9. The Jazz Singer-1927-Alan Crosland
There is one scene that after over 80 years, is still breathtaking in The Jazz Singer. Al Jolson plays a Jewish boy who just wants to sing jazz while his family, which has been full of Jewish cantors, wants him to follow in line. Early on in the film, Jolson gets on the stage and starts singing. What is so incredible about that is The Jazz Singer is considered one of the first films to ever have sound. It is certainly credited with it, even though it is not completely known if it was actually the first film, but no film had utilized it in such a way at that point. To this day, it is still a landmark scene and remarkable. Once Jolson finishes his song, he gleefully says, "you ain't heard nothing yet!" What Jolson didn't know is just how prophetic that truly was.
8. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari-1920-Robert Wiene
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is definitively one of the greatest examples of German Expressionism ever made. This film will mess with your mind. The sets are always askew and there seems to be something not quite right about the situation going on. The film centers around a magician, Dr. Caligari and Cesare. Dr. Caligari hypnotizes Cesare at night, forcing him to kill people in the nearby village. The film takes you into the mind of Cesare, a frightening and confusing individual. It has one of the first great twist endings ever that fans of Fight Club and similar films will truly appreciate.
7. The Gold Rush-1925-Charles Chaplin
In the 1920s, Charlie Chaplin pretty much owned films. He was easily the greatest silent film star of the time, and now the greatest silent film star ever. His character of The Tramp has becoming truly one of the longest lasting and lovable characters ever created. Yet the character of The Tramp really evolved in The Gold Rush. The Tramp treks to the Klondike to try and find gold amongst many others. The Tramp is starving and looking to finally get rich. What happens is touching and beautiful and filled with great scenes, such as the scene below in which The Tramp is so hungry he eats his own shoe. This film shows one of the greatest comedians of all time in one of his greatest roles ever.
6. The Passion of Joan of Arc-1928-Carl Theodor Dreyer
This 1928 vision of the trial and subsequent of Joan of Arc works for one simple reason: the staggering performance of Maria Falconetti as the title character. Unfortunately, this performance was her only one, yet it is one of the greatest acting performances of all time. Look at any actress today, even the best, and I guarantee you, no one could do half as good as she does. Dreyer's camera focuses in on her as much as possible, making the viewer claustrophobic and forcing you to focus on the emotion that Falconetti is giving. One of the greatest character studies and a gorgeous look at someone who will do anything for what they believe is right.
5. Battleship Potemkin-1925-Sergei M. Eisenstein
Eisenstein has become one of the most discussed directors in film theory, specifically for the advancements that were made in this film. Battleship Potemkin is the story of a Russian mutiny on the aforementioned boat and the massacre that resulted in the streets after said massacre. To understand how influential this film is, it is important to watch the Odessa stairs sequence (below) and to know that Eisenstein was considered to be the first person to use montage to its fullest extent, especially in this sequence. Potemkin is one of the most daring and influential films of the decade.
4. Sherlock Jr.-1924-Buster Keaton
If Chaplin was the king of silent comedy, Keaton was the prince, awaiting to take the throne one day. Keaton is at his best in Sherlock Jr. when he plays a film projectionist who hopes to one day become a detective and get the girl. Keaton is more likable here then in any of his other films and the final sequence (also below) in which Keaton literally jumps into the screen is extraordinary, even today. Sherlock Jr. brings around many points that make movies so incredible. It puts you in the movie and lets you imagine yourself as the own star of your own movie. Very few films before this show the magic and importance of film in everyday man's life.
3. Metropolis-1927-Fritz Lang
It's hard to imagine what the sci-fi genre would be like if Fritz Lang had not made this masterpiece. Metropolis is a class struggle: the son of the richest man in a city full of futuristic technology falls in love with one of the workers. He does everything he can to save her from her workers life and becoming a savior to all the people who work in the booming metropolis. Films like Blade Runner and Dark City will absolutely recognize where the inspiration for those films came from and some of the beautiful imagery such as the workers going into their job, shows why Fritz Lang was way ahead of his time and one of the best directors in early film.
2. The Circus-1928-Charles Chaplin
At this point in film history, silent films were becoming a thing of the past. At the end of the silent era, Chaplin released The Circus, one of this greatest films. Even while the silent era may have ended, it would not be the end of Chaplin's silent films. What is also incredible is the amount of problems that Chaplin encountered while trying to make this film. Chaplin spent years making this film. After taking his time to make sure the film was perfect, near the end of the film's already lengthy production, he divorced his wife. His wife ended up destroying all the sets and all the film that he had already shot, ending up making the production even longer. This film was so traumatic for Chaplin, that in the hardcover version of his biography "My Life", he completely passes over this film. But while the production was clearly traumatic, the end result is remarkable and makes one of Chaplin's best and most overlooked films.
1. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans-1927-F.W. Murnau
Sunrise may seem like a simple concept, but its beauty is in it's presentation. In the first
year of the Oscar's, Sunrise became the first and only film ever to win Best Picture for Unique
and Artistic Production. The story is simple: a man has fallen in love with a woman that is not
his wife. His mistress convinces him to kill his wife so that they can be together. But when he
goes to commit the act, he realizes just how much he loves her and they spend the day together,
allowing him to show just how much he still loves her. Richard Linklater payed tribute to this
film with his gorgeous Before Sunset/Before Sunrise series, but this landmark romantic film
is a beautifully simple romance that is the best film of the 1920s.
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