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Neglify said:MovieFreakedMind said:Intolerance
My review:
Long story short: I didn't love it but I recognize it's a great piece of cinema history.
I'm not big into silent films. I think the only feature-length silent movie I've given 5 stars to has been Nosferatu. This was a test of endurance. The inter-titles cards looked ugly to me and started giving me a headache. But, it's amazing what D.W. Griffith was able to do 100 years ago and it's clear to me how he shaped a lot of modern movies in terms of story-telling and techniques.
4 out of 5 stars
I'm sure TM2YC has more positive things to say about it.
My review:
https://letterboxd.com/tm2yc/film/intolerance-loves-struggle-throughout-the-ages/
@"MovieFreakedMind" My advice if you want to get into silent films is:
1. Start with the latter silent films: Initially avoid early ones, even if they are classics like 'Intolerance'. The techniques of movie making were still being invented so having no camera movement, no closeups, no cross-cutting, no anything, plus terrible exaggerated acting can be pretty alienating. Stick to stuff between 1923 and 1928 at first. It's a short window but it falls after Director's were still learning and before they'd discovered sound.
2. If you can't see it in HD, don't bother, or wait for it be restored: It's perhaps obvious but when there is no dialogue, you are 100% relying on the actors faces/eyes to convey the emotion. If it's a blurry mess, then you will miss those nuances and have a bad time. Plus those old nitrate movies look stunning in pin-sharp HD.
3. The score matters: A repetitive piano score can kill the film, a big Carl Davis orchestral score can make it. So see what is available and choose one that works for you.