Early Cinema

The General

Keaton is on absolutely top form in this silent civil-war comedy about a hijacked locomotive and his chase to get it back; extremely inventive and incredibly funny. More…

The Great White Silence

On Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition, Herbert Ponting took his camera resulting in this wonderful early documentary charting their progress and the impending tragedy. More…

The Great Train Robbery

As one of the earliest films in history to be remade, only months after its release in 1903, The Great Train Robbery is an exercise in filmmaking that stands the test of time. More…

Das Kabinett Des Doktor Caligari

Patrick Samuel takes us into The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari to explore what it is that makes it an Expressionist Film and identifies some key features of the art form. More…

The Birth Of A Nation

Max delves into D.W. Griffith’s silent epic The Birth Of A Nation, controversial for its rampant racism and legendary for its modern-day filmmaking techniques. More…

Le Voyage Dans La Lune

French filmmaker, illusionist and toymaker Georges Méliès invited a 1902 audience to join him for a trip unlike any other they had seen before with this innovative film. More…

Diary Of A Lost Girl

Directed by G.W. Pabst and based on the controversial and bestselling novel by Margarete Böhme, Diary Of A Lost Girl remains a cherished film from the Weimar Republic. More…

The Blue Angel

Patrick recalls the moment when he fell in love with German Cinema and explains why Josef von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel is a typical product of the Weimar era. More…

A Woman Of Paris

An atypical film for Chaplin, this silent drama nevertheless had a profound effect on the style of acting used in cinema and includes a trio of great performances. More…

Raja Harishchandra

When we think of Indian films we think of songs and spontaneous musical numbers. Let’s then look at Raja Harishchandra, India’s first feature film and a silent one. More…

The Curious Case Of Louis Le Prince

Was Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince the father of the motion picture? His collection of films from 1888 are the oldest surviving films but could they also be the very first? More…

L’Arrivée D’un Train En Gare De La Ciotat

This 1895 film by the Lumière Brothers excited audiences when it was first shown and is a great example of film’s ability to command our emotions and imagination. More…

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Lauren Mannion • Lesley Coffin
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