We use our imagination to fill in the elements left out, with Silent Film. As obvious as this may be to adults who’ve seen silent film, it’s ironic that there’s an assumption that kids won’t go for silents. Ironic, because children are in way better touch and access of their imagination.
Parents and educators are always skeptical before — and so pleasantly surprised after — screenings I’ve presented and accompanied where their kids have attended. I can tell you, because I listen for it, that you can hear kids’ laughter over the adults’ at a show of a silent comedy film. Parents will say their youngster was almost doubled-over laughing, and also admit they weren’t expecting this.
But when children play with toys or dolls or anything, they’re representations of the real thing, and no kid thinks “that’s not a real car” or “that’s a plastic scale model of a real person”, or “those are just a bunch of small pieces of wood”.
This doesn’t evaporate when you go through puberty or graduate from college.
And it isn’t a human condition that only existed until 1929, when talking pictures changed the storytelling language of film and the way the movies themselves were made both technologically and in performance.
The first post in this series is here.
The next post is here.
Had I been exposed to more silent comedies as a youngster, I would have loved that. Before any talking film, my heart resides in the silent comedy era.
#Buster #Chase #Lane #Howell #MacLean; my list is growing with the amazing gems you and Steve show us every Sunday. God bless you all!! I can’t thank you both enough for the priceless information within each one.