Since the birth of motion pictures at the end of the 19th century until the late 1920’s, all films had one thing in common, they were silent. As the age of the silver screen was being ushered in and Hollywood was just starting to develop its studio system, some of the most important innovations in cinematography and editing were being discovered. However, the era would always be remembered for its slapstick routines performed by the comic geniuses Charlie Chaplin & Buster Keaton and the daring high-rise imagery of Harold Lloyd’s films.
Silent films are an integral part of cinematic history and the art of motion pictures. Now, a hundred years later some of the most famous performances can be seen in what would seem to be one of the least likely places: YouTube.
YouTube Users Breathing New Life into Cinema Classics
YouTube (www.youtube.com), which was founded in February of 2005 and was purchased shortly thereafter by Google for 1.65 billion dollars worth of stock in November of 2006, is the leading website for video content on the web. Although designed for users to upload their own original content to share, throughout its limited history it has been a place to post music videos, television shows and even movies.
Over the past year silent films and their stars have seen a sort of renaissance on YouTube. Clips like Chaplin’s “Table Ballet” in The Gold Rush (later mimicked by Johnny Depp in the movie Benny & Joon) and Lloyd’s famous “Clock Scene” from Safety Last (later emulated in many films, perhaps most notably in Back to The Future) are available for viewing and in some cases the footage appears to be in good shape. Movies which have fallen into the public domain are actually being restored and posted in their entirety by a dedicated few.
A Modern Sound for Silent Films
Some YouTubers have decided to pay homage to these early screen legends in an unexpected way. Clips of famous scenes and tribute videos are being rescored with modern music. A lot of the music used is as diverse as the users but certainly any Buster Keaton footage set to the sounds of Run DMC and Aerosmith deservers a special mention.
More than Just Comedy
Besides the raw entertainment value of such rare and noteworthy clips, there is so much that can be learned by watching these early masters of the art. Keaton's & Chaplin’s vaudeville inspired performances are lessons in comedy, acting and stunt work all rolled into one. The early cinematic camera tricks and startling visuals that appear in Lloyd’s thriller films should be memorized by any aspiring film maker.
Watching any silent film is a lesson in storytelling in one of the most visual of art forms – motion pictures. The performances and skills contained within the clips YouTube users are posting are truly treasures that can now be viewed by anyone with an internet connection.
