The Power of Silent Movies, with The Artist Director Michel Hazanavicius

When The Artist won the top Oscar on Sunday night, critic Roger Ebert compared it to an episode of The Twilight Zone. “The Academy Award for best picture went to a silent film in black and white,” he wrote. “Its victory will send Hollywood back to its think tanks.”

In this short film by Joe LaMattina of Last Call With Carson Daly, the writer and director of The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius, talks about the challenge of holding an audience’s attention without dialogue, and the magic that happens when it’s done right. “There’s a very interesting process with silent movies,” Hazanavicius says. “The black and white and the lack of sound creates a mystery.”

The Artist has taught audiences in the 21st century that silent films can be a delight. If you would like to explore some of the great films from the golden age of silent cinema, visit our collection of 100 Free Silent Films: The Great Classics, which includes works by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau, G.W. Pabst and many more. They’re all part of our bigger meta collection of Free Movies.

Related Content:

The General, “Perhaps the Greatest Film Ever Made,” and 20 Other Buster Keaton Classics Free Online

65 Free Charlie Chaplin Films Online

Watch 10 of the Greatest Silent Films of All Time, All Free Online

 


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