Films To See . . .

1.) Finish Sunrise(1927).Update: I tried watching it again and fell asleep halfway through the first swamp scene. I like myself less for this.

2.) Watch The Wind(1928). Update: Victor Sjostrom, thank you. I loved this film so much it hurt. And it made me love Lillian again.

3.) Watch The Crowd(1928). Update: I liked it a lot. Did not experience a transcendent moment of ecstatic truth though. Expectations were too high.

4.) Watch Intolerance(1916).

5.) Watch Foolish Wives(1922).

Reasons I wish I didn't finally watch "The Birth of a Nation"

1.) I knew it. I knew that if I watch The Birth of a Nation Lillian Gish would be ruined forever. She used to be an angel, a sparkling beacon of hope for the human race--this is not hyperbole. BUT, she was a lead actress in the film that led to the reemergence of the KKK in 1915. SO in the words of Brian Ferry, tainted love, oh, tainted love.

2.) Woodrow Wilson let me down big time. I used to affectionately refer to him as Woody. I accepted that he was kinda racist. I blamed it on his Southern upbringing, on the times, on undiagnosed mental illness, but just read the above title card to see how much of a delusional white supremacist he really was. Tainted love.

3.) I lost a lot of my respect for D.W. Griffith. He was kind of a genius auteur, which is why I used to love him, a lot, but now I can't see past his blatant bigotry. The guy died still claiming that this film was not intentionally racist. Ridiculous. More tainted love.

4.) I don't know if I can watch D.W.'s other films anymore. Is a life without Broken Blossoms a life worth living? Ya, I guess so, kinda. Hmmm.

Beyond the Rocks.

I am slightly disappointed. I always thought the quote was "Her love for him was her religion." For me the line represented the simple poetic romanticism of Hollywood silent film title cards, but the line doesn't really exist. It's like that quote from one of Sally Field's Oscar acceptance speeches: "You like me you really like me!" She didn't actually say the line like that, but all of us misremembered it together. So maybe I can decide to forever remember this line from Beyond the Rocks as I misremembered it for the last four years.

The Rise of Louise Brooks

10 bucks goes to who ever can guess why she has such a spike in popularity in the late 70s.
It's because that's when she was rediscovered by Eastman House curator/part-time lover James Card!
Yes, I keep the money.

Louise, the bee's knees.

Answers

Roman Navorro

Questions

1.) Why are silent films most enjoyable when watched alone in an empty house at 3am? Is that just me?

2.) Why do we obsess over dead celebrities? Is this the ultimate form of unrequited love? Is it the most satisfying kind of love?

3.) Why does Lon Chaney's face break my heart? Is that an overstatement? No?

4.) Will I ever watch Birth of a Nation all the way through?

5.) Did Greta Garbo embody the feminist ideal?