L’arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat (1895) is a Lumiére brothers short film that mystified and in some accounts even terrified audiences as they tried to get out of the way of the train that was coming towards them. For the first time, a diagonal frame was used to give a sense of realism, which helped its effect on the audience as well as showed what films could do to audiences through technique.
The Lumiére brothers created the Cinematographe and were the first to show films to a paying audience, something that is second nature to us now.
http://www.precinemahistory.net/1895.htm
http://www.earlycinema.com/pioneers/lumiere_bio.html
D.W.Griffith wrote and directed The Birth of a Nation (1915), a film which is regarded as so significant it was ranked #44 in the ‘Top 100 American films’ (1998) by the AFI.
In nine weeks, with only one camera and two lenses Griffith changed moviemaking techniques and storytelling within American filmmaking. The switch from cinema as mere entertainment to an art form was established in America from this film.
It’s uncomfortable to watch as its racist content would make Nick Griffin blush and it was also used as KKK propaganda material until the 1970’s. Surely though this makes its high status in filmmaking all the more remarkable after nearly 100 years.
http://www.afi.com/100years/movies.aspx
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/1999/nov/25/3
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) by Robert Wiene is seen as one of the best German expressionist films, one of the earliest horror movies, a big influence on film noir, Hollywood horror and can be seen in amongst almost any Tim Burton movie.
This film propelled the career of actor Conrad Veidt. His status was so grand that when he fled Germany, Joseph Goebbels continued to phone him in England to star in Nazi propaganda movies. When Veidt refused and made anti-Nazi movies, Hitler declared all of Veidt’s films banned. The film and its star are still affecting movie lovers worldwide to this day.
http://www.theartsdesk.com/tv/horror-europa-mark-gatiss-bbc-four
The Jazz Singer (1927) directed by Alan Crosland is recognised as the first feature length film with synchronised dialogue sequences. This saw the beginning of the ascendancy of the ‘talkies’ that spelt the gradual extinction of silent film.
Consequently this affected film-making so much that a movie such as ‘The Artist’ with no dialogue is viewed as a strange masterpiece, with many cinema-goers today not being able to adapt themselves to its style, that is why The Jazz Singer finds itself on this list.
The film was so advanced it was ineligible to win awards at the Oscars due to it being ‘unfair’ on the other (silent) films.
Metropolis (1927) Was directed by Fritz Lang, Metropolis is one of the most renowned silent films and its plot and social commentary have only become more relevant in 21st century society. With eerily relevant themes and examples this film is defining in pre 1930’s cinema for its influence on political, social, and sci-fi media. Even the imagery can be compared to the appearance of popstars today such as Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.
- Beyoncé has outfit inspired by Metropolis imagery.
It was one of the first sci-fi films ever made and the most expensive ever produced at the time, costing what would have been 20+ conventional feature movies at the time and nearly bankrupting the German studio, UFA.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/sep/09/metropolis-restored-film-review
RGU Cinema and Society 