Reading Room

The Immigrant Is Chaplin's Most Famous Short for a Reason (opens trettleman.medium.com in a new tab)

Essay analyzing the film's social criticism of immigration and American Dream mythology through Chaplin's persona.

Medium

On The Immigrant

A Dog's Life Was Chaplin's Most Compassionate Film to Date (opens trettleman.medium.com in a new tab)

Essay examining Chaplin's integration of slapstick with emotional depth through the relationship between tramp and dog.

Medium

On A Dog's Life

Thoughts On: Shoulder Arms (1918) (opens silentology.wordpress.com in a new tab)

Critical analysis of Chaplin's most commercially successful film treating war through the dream narrative device.

Silent-ology

On Shoulder Arms

'Beauty in the lap of horror': the Gothic appeal of Erich von Stroheim in Blind Husbands (1919) — Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (opens nature.com in a new tab)

Academic essay examining Stroheim's Gothic aesthetics and complex seducer character in his directorial debut.

On Blind Husbands

Blind Husbands (1919) Film Synopsis and Discussion (opens obscurehollywood.net in a new tab)

Analysis of Stroheim's debut examining his multi-faceted role as writer, director, producer and actor.

Obscure Hollywood

On Blind Husbands

Broken Blossoms (opens rogerebert.com in a new tab)

Roger Ebert's Great Movie essay celebrating Griffith's intimate melodrama and counter-racist representation.

Roger Ebert

On Broken Blossoms

Sunnyside (15 June 1919) (opens chaplinfilmbyfilm.wordpress.com in a new tab)

Critical examination of Chaplin's experimental dreamlike comedy and its psychological interpretations.

Chaplin: Film by Film

On Sunnyside

film essay for 'One Week' — Library of Congress (opens loc.gov in a new tab)

Library of Congress preservation essay analyzing Keaton's innovative visual gags and kit house comedy.

On One Week

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) | The Definitives (opens deepfocusreview.com in a new tab)

Comprehensive critical analysis of Wiene's German Expressionist horror masterpiece and its cultural significance.

Deep Focus Review

On The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

The Golem's Step Away from Expressionism (opens trettleman.medium.com in a new tab)

Essay examining the Golem's relationship to German Expressionism and its cinematic techniques.

Medium

On The Golem: How He Came Into the World

The Mark of Zorro (1920): The fabrication of freedom and the cultural hero — UBC Latin American Cinema Blog (opens blogs.ubc.ca in a new tab)

Analysis of Fairbanks' pioneering swashbuckler and its role in defining the adventure film genre.

On The Mark of Zorro

The Parson's Widow (1920): Dreyer's humanism and humour (opens silentlondon.co.uk in a new tab)

Essay on Dreyer's Swedish comedy-drama and its exploration of human relationships and morality.

Silent London

On The Parson's Widow

The Scarecrow (Buster Keaton, 1920) — Bethany Lee's Film Studies Blog (opens filmstudiesleeb.wordpress.com in a new tab)

Analysis of Keaton's farmland comedy and innovative gadget-based visual gags.

On The Scarecrow

Way Down East (1920) — TCM Articles (opens tcm.com in a new tab)

Essay on Griffith's melodramatic masterpiece featuring Lillian Gish and innovative ice-break climax.

On Way Down East

'Within Our Gates' (1920) By Daniel Eagan — Library of Congress (opens loc.gov in a new tab)

Library of Congress essay analyzing Micheaux's foundational race film addressing racism and black uplift.

On Within Our Gates

Master of the House: In the Corner - The Criterion Collection (opens criterion.com in a new tab)

Essay examining Dreyer's visual style and domestic drama.

The Criterion Collection

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | film by Neilan [1917] (opens britannica.com in a new tab)

Encyclopedia entry on Pickford's adaptation of the popular novel featuring screenwriter Frances Marion.

Britannica

On Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

film essay for 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' — Library of Congress (opens loc.gov in a new tab)

Library of Congress preservation essay on Ingram's epic World War I drama starring Valentino.

On The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Goat (1921) (opens anttialanenfilmdiary.blogspot.com in a new tab)

Analysis of Keaton's mistaken identity chase film featuring iconic train and locomotive stunts.

Antti Alanen Film Diary

On The Goat

The Haunted House (1921) (opens silverscreenings.org in a new tab)

Essay analyzing Keaton's bank robbery comedy with elaborate props and supernatural comedy elements.

Silver Screenings

On The Haunted House

'The Kid' (1921) is one of Charles Chaplin's finest — Library of Congress (opens loc.gov in a new tab)

Library of Congress essay on Chaplin's masterpiece blending comedy and drama about abandonment and family.

On The Kid

film essay for 'Tol'able David' — Library of Congress (opens loc.gov in a new tab)

Library of Congress essay on Henry King's coming-of-age drama set in Appalachia with acclaimed cinematography.

On Tol'able David

Blood and Sand (1922): Rudolph Valentino — Alt Film Guide (opens altfg.com in a new tab)

Essay on Niblo's matador melodrama featuring Valentino's performance and Arzner's innovative editing.

On Blood and Sand