- Playing
- Commentary: The Art of Silence
- From
- Dick Meister
Silent films are not merely the outdated, herky-jerky precursors of talking pictures. As this commentary notes, they were -- and are -- a distinct popular art form. They are movies tjhat were truly designed to move, to show by movement rather than tell by words and sounds. They are at least as artristic as the talkies that supplanted them, far more experimental and daring, and certainly as imaginative and innovative.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
Silent films are not merely the outdated, herky-jerky precursors of talking pictures. As this commentary notes, they were -- and are -- a distinct popular art form. They are movies tjhat were truly designed to move, to show by movement rather than tell by words and sounds. They are at least as artristic as the talkies that supplanted them, far more experimental and daring, and certainly as imaginative and innovative.
Broadcast History
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Transcript
It?s become a common experience at movie theaters and museums: Show a silent film and you?re almost certain to draw a crowd.
Some of those who turn out undoubtedly do so simply for the sake of novelty. But many undoubtedly are drawn by a genuine appreciation of what has been the most neglected of the visual arts.
Silent films required great creativity of directors, editors and players. They could not rely on the crutch of sound to reach movie-goers. And the films required great involvement and concentration by the movie-goers. They had to interpret cinematic actions for themselves without sound to guide them.
Silent films were ? and are -- a distinct popular art form, movies that were truly designed to move ? to show by movement rather than tell by words and sounds. They are at least as artistic as the talking pictures that supplanted them, far more experimental and daring,...
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Timing and Cues
INTRO: Commentator Dick Meister says we're finally paying attention to what has been among the most neglected of the visual arts ...
OUTRO: Dick Meister is a San Francisco writer.
