This is one of the things that feel so off every time I watch a silent movie after watching a regular movie to check stu
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — General Discussion
LouvrePigeon — 8 months ago(July 07, 2025 08:26 PM)
This is one of the things that feel so off every time I watch a silent movie after watching a regular movie to check stuff off my bucket list. That I have to force myself with mental effort to watch cinema from the Silent era because of just how ridiculous the actors move and esp how their acting is so silly because their facial expressions flamboyant.
And I get the same difficulty watching a sound film after seeing a silent movie as well esp modern stuff post-Godfather because modern acting is so subtle with expression and so realistic in general body movements.
Its not just my opinion either I seen critics, scholars, and other experts of cinema and acting as a field state similar feelings as I do. TO put one example, a I remember a professor who makes Youtube videos on film history stated that one of the reasons Lilian Gish was able to transition to sound films so smoothly was because her experience in theatre (as exaggerated as stageplays tend to be in acting performances compared to post-Golden Age Hollywood movies) gave her the expertise needed to have the range for more subdued acting. And that in addition to her, European silent movie stars had a much easier time transitioning to the sound era as Gish did-their background from old theatre traditions esp in the UK and Germany meant giving much more low key performances for the sound era wasn't so much a problem. To the point that beyond Gish herself, many were able to transition to also transition from the Golden Age of their countries onto the Silver Age and even 1970s for those who survived that long.
So I'm wondering whats the reason for the so over the top nature of acting in the Silent Film era? That even skilled actors and actresses with wide range including live theatre experience such as Lilian Gish would end up acting in a flippy floppy retarded manner thats extremely unrealistic even for comedic theatrical shows? -
HollyJollyHanukka — 8 months ago(July 07, 2025 09:17 PM)
Movie actors from that time were from theatrical stage backgrounds and over gestured too make sure moods and emotions were conveyed, especially to compensate for no sound.
If you can’t say something nice, say something clever but devastating. -
Paul P. Powell — 7 months ago(August 30, 2025 04:36 AM)
No need to overthink it. The early 1900s had terrific actors; there's no need to speculate or theorize as if they were aliens.
Human nature doesn't change with a calendar. Audiences were as discriminating towards acting then just as they are now.
Reasons why many movie-goers today are often under the erroneous impression that the acting was different- General lack of experience with older cinema.
- Lack of experience with theater, theater history, etc.
- Camera compositions. There were fewer C.U. (close-ups) in silents. Most shots are mid or full. Showing two characters at once, filling the frame with the whole room. This simply means stage style acting was used. There's nothing wrong with it; it is still used in theater. It's also visible in many pre-code productions.
- You probably haven't been watching the best of the format; just the usual dogs which get recommended by the clueless. In the best silent films you don't notice any issues with acting.
- Even when it comes to melodrama, (usually where fault is the most glaring) I've experienced some silent films which look better than anything today
- What your question overlooks is that exaggerated gestures are the engine of slapstick comedy. Comedies were a huge part of the silent era. Slapstick is regarded by some as the high point of all movie-making.
- More on comedy: see this famous Life article by James Agee:
https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/comedys-greatest-era-james-agee/
Paul P. Powell, Pool Player
-
JustinCase — 7 months ago(August 30, 2025 04:47 AM)
This is one of the things that feel so off every time I watch a silent movie after watching a regular movie to check stuff off my bucket list. That I have to force myself with mental effort to watch cinema from the Silent era because of just how ridiculous the actors move and esp how their acting is so silly because their facial expressions flamboyant.
Doesn't seem like you enjoy watching them.
If no one has a gun to your head making you then why continue?
How you die does not redeem how you lived. - A black pastor on the life and death of Charlie Kirk