Essays, interviews, archives, and video resources on early cinema — curated reading on films, directors, and movements across the silent and early sound eras.
942 resources
Critical analysis of Vidor's exploration of forbidden desires around race and sexuality in pre-Code Hawaii.
—
—
Scholarly essay examining the film's visual composition and theatrical influences on cinema.
—
—
Ebert's essay on Chaplin's masterpiece and its lyrical romanticism and defiance of sound cinema.
—
—
Criterion release with essay on this Weimar-era film by young filmmakers including Siodmak and Ulmer.
—
—
Criterion's overview of Sternberg and Dietrich's melodrama about a chanteuse's moral decline.
—
—
Critical essay on Chaplin's early comic performance and character development.
—
—
Guide to Hitchcock's adaptation of Sean O'Casey's play and his frustrations with theatrical material.
—
—
Analysis of Pabst's effective realism and brilliant use of sound in this anti-war film.
—
—
Critical analysis of Ozu's transitional film blending silent melodrama with postwar formalism.
—
—
Critical analysis of how the film navigated Hays Code restrictions while exploring human weakness.
—
—
Essay exploring Vidor's Depression-era collective farm drama and its social commentary.
—
—
Criterion release with essay on Sternberg's direction of Dietrich in her triumphant American debut.
—
—
Critical appreciation of Reiniger's artistic vision and technical mastery.
—
—
Scholarly article examining the representation of working-class labor in early cinema and its historical significance.
—
—
Analysis of Hitchcock's innovative use of voice-over and sound design in this early talkie.
—
—
Criterion's overview of Ozu's acclaimed silent film about childhood and social hierarchy.
—
—
Analysis of this pre-Code drama about smuggling and forbidden romance.
—
—
Festival guide to Pickford's department store romance.
—
—
Essay on this early Wayne western musical and its influence on the singing cowboy genre.
—
—
Festival guide to Cooper and Schoedsack's jungle documentary-drama.
—
—
Criterion release with comprehensive essay on this greatest achievement of Chaplin's career.
—
—
Essay on Bette Davis's groundbreaking performance and the film's dark portrayal of obsession.
—
—
Critical analysis of Sternberg's direction and Dietrich's iconic performance as Lola Lola.
—
—
Essay on Griffith's biographical film and its portrayal of Lincoln as a humanized figure.
—
—