Tag Archives: cinema of Russia

Image, light, sound – magic: Reporting back on Il Cinema Ritrovato 2016

Posted on 29 July 2016 by silentsplease

There was a time when cinema came out from behind trees, burst forth from the sea; a time where the man with the movie camera arrived in town squares, entered cafés, and turned screens to windows into infinity. In this … Continue reading →

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10 lost silent films that I’d love to see

Posted on 16 March 2015 by silentsplease

As an art form, silent film lasted for a mere 40 years, c.1895-1935. It’s well known that the great majority of films from the silent era are now lost, whether due to destruction (either deliberate, as by many studios, or accidental, … Continue reading →

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Karalli & Bauer: Счастье вечной ночи | The Happiness of Eternal Night (RU 1915)

Posted on 10 March 2015 by silentsplease

This week, a return to the Yevgeni Bauer hour of power! The Happiness of Eternal Night sees Bauer working with actress and ballerina Vera Karalli, actor Vitold Polonsky, and cameraman Boris Zavelev; the same core of After Death, which was released just six … Continue reading →

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Book roundup! Film histories: Italy, Japan, pre-Revolutionary Russia; mid 1920s US culture; copyright & the US film industry

Posted on 3 March 2015 by silentsplease

I’ve been meaning to write up my thoughts on silent film histories more often. Here, have a roundup of what I’ve been reading over the last two or three months! The Magic Mirror: Moviemaking in Russia, 1908-1918 by Denise J. … Continue reading →

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Грёзы | Daydreams (RU 1915)

Posted on 14 September 2014 by silentsplease

Daydreams is a story about love, grief, and the blindness that can result from these states. As the story opens, Sergei Nedelin (Aleksandr Vyrubov) is mourning his wife Elena, whom he had loved passionately. Out walking one day, he sees a … Continue reading →

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Сумерки женской души | The Twilight of a Woman’s Soul (RU 1913)

Posted on 17 August 2014 by silentsplease

I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Twilight of a Woman’s Soul is a misnomer for this story: a more accurate title might be The Strength of a Woman’s Soul, or indeed, The Twilight of a Man’s Soul. The plot … Continue reading →

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The flowers of romance? Хризантемы | Chrysanthemums (RU 1914)

Posted on 4 August 2014 by silentsplease

Today it’s back to pre-revolutionary Russia, where indeed I’ve been spending a lot of my reading + watching time lately. Chrysanthemums (translit. Khrizantemy; 1914) is the story of Vera Alekseevna Nevolina, played by the radiant Vera Karalli in her first film role (her … Continue reading →

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После смерти | After Death (RU 1915)

Posted on 12 July 2014 by silentsplease

For me, Yevgeni Bauer is one of the cinematic greats of the teens, and indeed of silent cinema in general.  In a word, his films are elegant. Always beautifully composed in terms of framing, editing, and mise-en-scène, most of his … Continue reading →

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