This past semester, I took an American Film class at the University of Missouri, where we watched movies from 1892 to 1952. The course started with silent black and white pictures and ended with Technicolor movie musicals. You would be shocked to see how many modern-day movies reuse techniques and cinematography of old black and white classics – I know I was.
After watching films evolve from silent, rickety stop-motion to “talkies,” I can confidently say that watching the following films will solidify you into the cinephile you think you are.
1. “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” – 1928
Perhaps my favorite of all the silent films we watched this semester, “Steamboat Bill, Jr.,” is witty and a logistical stunting marvel. Not only is Buster Keaton just an absolute gem, but he’s a little bit crazy. He’s dorky with his short stature, but he’s so captivating to audiences – he’s easy to love. On top of his dorky character, his insanity and ability to put his life on the line will take your breath away. Marvel wishes they could achieve this level of stunts.
In “Steamboat Bill, Jr.,” Keaton is working around his new house. He walks outside of the breakaway building that falls around Keaton so perfectly, and he walks away unscathed. This is meant to be a comedic bit and visual gag. Every cinephile will admire the narrow window (literally) for failure, and how early these advancements were made with so little technology. This stunt and Keaton’s stunts in general inspired other filmmakers and artists to also go out and take risks. The stunt was even recreated by Jackie Chan in the 1987 action film “Project A Part II.” Steve McQueen also recreated the stunt in his video project “Deadpan.” He won the Turner Prize for it. Keaton and his breakaway building stunt have been memorialized forever, but none have ever been as good as the original.
2. “His Girl Friday” – 1940
I first watched this film three years ago, when I took an interest in journalism. After this rewatch for class, “His Girl Friday” has moved into my top four on Letterboxd. It’s the first “old Hollywood” classic film I watched that I absolutely loved. The one aspect of the film every cinephile would admire is the fast-paced dialogue. It builds a comedic effect, but I love it because it’s exactly how my brain sounds. Journalists are constantly interrupting one another and running around; this film gets the newsroom right, which is so refreshing to see. A lot of other films, like “The Devil Wears Prada” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” create a false narrative for the newsroom; they’re dramatized, and the female characters are portrayed as weak.
As a woman in journalism myself, and after my experience in newsrooms, it can still feel sexist. But just like Hildy Johnson, if you continue to put yourself out there and be aggressive in your storytelling, you will succeed. “His Girl Friday” was an adapted screenplay from the 1928 Broadway play “The Front Page,” but it couldn’t be more different. Other than the obvious title change, director Howard Hawks flipped the gender roles of the characters. This made a statement in the film community for audiences and peers that female characters can stand strongly on their own.
3. “Citizen kane” – 1941
Why is everyone so obsessed with “Citizen Kane?” Every cinephile I know is obsessed with this film or has talked about it in some capacity. But, I’ve always wondered, how can a black and white film, that’s kind of confusing, be so successful? I think cinephiles are obsessed with this film because it’s a playbook of film techniques. I believe that film critics and students, or even just people passionate about movies, appreciate the nuts and bolts of the film. The film itself is very educational.
All cinephiles need to watch this film because they will learn something from it, but also because it takes risks. Director Orson Welles took a financial risk at 25 years old to make this film, but he also put his reputation on the line. The story plot twists were also a risk – the story was unconventional. Kane, the main character, is a complex and risky character to make the lead of your movie, but people enjoy him for this very reason. Humans are difficult and complex. When they’re on the screen, they are the bad guy; we can criticize the characters while getting a chance to reflect on ourselves. Every cinephile could learn something from the creation of this character.
4. “Sunset Boulevard” – 1950
I have watched this film twice. The first time, I hated Norma Desmond. I thought she was annoying, rude, washed up and crazy. On the second watch for this class, I loved her. I understood her. It’s easy to fall into blaming Norma Desmond for being broken and isolated because of her narcissism as a star. However, it’s hard to solely blame her when it was the Hollywood star system that abandoned her. This trope and this era of Hollywood have been continuously recognized, most recently with Margot Robbie’s character in “Babylon.”
Any movie lover needs to see “Sunset Boulevard.” Directed by Billy Wilder, the film is the greatest of any film about Hollywood itself. With its dark and witty film noir mis-en-scene, the film rips Hollywood apart. It shows the dark inner workings and the pressures of the industry – it’s the truthful story others were too afraid to tell.
5. “sinGin’ in the rain” – 1952
How can you make it through an American film classics class without “Singin’ in the Rain?” Similar to “Sunset Boulevard,” the film expresses the transition of actors navigating from silent to talking pictures. The film is transparent of all the technical, artistic and social struggles of the transition in Hollywood. It highlights the irony of stars whose voices literally ruined or made their career. Gene Kelley’s “Singin’ in the Rain” set a new standard for athleticism and elegance in dance and music. In fact, he’s often credited as the founder of the musical film genre or at least, credited as one of the greatest to do it. This film has become the blueprint for movie musicals, making it a must-watch classic for all movie lovers.
We saw Technicolor start to come about in class, through films like “La Cucaracha” in 1934 and most famously, “The Wizard of Oz” in 1939. “Signin’ in the Rain” takes it to new heights. The iconic yellow rain coats and colorful umbrellas pop on screen, captivating audiences forever. Aside from just being visually appealing, the Technicolor process serves as a satirical critique of how dark Hollywood really was at the time. All movie lovers will appreciate how “Singin’ in the Rain” not only helped found the beloved genre of musicals, but it also gave us that nostalgic color we continue to turn to. It’s more colorful than the real world.
so… Are you a real cinephile?
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines cinephile as “a devoted lover, enthusiast, or passionate student of cinema, often possessing extensive knowledge of films and film history.” To show your devotion and your love for film, let these movies take you there. My film class added these into my life through a rubric assignment, but they became so much more than that to me. It’s important to slow down and look back at film history, pulling films like these, because you would never realize how much they built the industry. Old cinematic tricks from this era continue to show up in films today.