Tag Archives: film form

Mistinguett on film: three shorts

Posted on 8 January 2016 by silentsplease

   Mistinguett must be considered one of France’s great entertainers. Born Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois in 1875, in the early twentieth century she was a huge star of the French music hall, lighting up the stage of such legendary venues as the Moulin … Continue reading →

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Shanghai modern: the cinematic fiction of Mu Shiying

Posted on 20 October 2015 by silentsplease

Shanghai in the 1930s: a glittering city, humming to the rhythm of its jazz-filled dance halls, streets lit up by neon signs, art deco buildings springing up like mushrooms. A whirlwind of dance, images of film stars vying with advertisements … Continue reading →

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Cinematic poetry: “Silents” by Claire Crowther

Posted on 9 October 2015 by silentsplease

A recurring dream about speechlessness, the visage of Renée Jeanne Falconetti in La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, the sight of voices without sound—these elements were the genesis of a recent poetry book, Silents, by Claire Crowther. Finding herself intensely moved … Continue reading →

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Навесні | In Spring (UkrSSR 1930)

Posted on 1 September 2014 by silentsplease

It is September the first, so spring has officially sprung! (In the southern hemisphere, at least). Therefore, it’s the perfect time to take a look at the Ukrainian film Навесні (Navesni); known in English as In Spring, and also known by its Russian title Весной … 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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Rest in pieces … Mary Jane’s Mishap (GB 1903)

Posted on 9 August 2014 by silentsplease

I recently rewatched one of the greatest of early films, Mary Jane’s Mishap, or Don’t Fool with Paraffin (Here Lies Mary Jane Who Lighted the Fire with Paraffin). It was directed by George Albert Smith, noted as the inventor of … 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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Звенигора | Zvenyhora (UkrSSR 1927)

Posted on 6 June 2014 by silentsplease

Earlier this year, I managed to get hold of the DVD boxset Ukrainian Re-Vision (Укрїнське Німе), published by the State Film Agency of Ukraine in collaboration with the Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Centre in Kyiv.  It’s a wonderful publication: six restored … Continue reading →

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