logo Sign In

Idea: Revisionist Silent Films...?

Author
Date
Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

I posted this at SA’s CD, but some thoughts would be interesting here.

We’ve seen radically altered modern versions of some silent films, such as Metropolis (by Moroder) and Nosferatu. “Genre” films tend to get this treatment more than others.

So, a heretical thought on silent film in general.

Modern Hollywood films rarely rely on production sound … instead overusing the capability for foley and ADR, using sound to hide problems with the production, inherent in the fast pace and unforgiving unionized nature of the Hollywood machine.

I know this is heresy to say this, but any studio would be more than capable of providing foley and ADR for silent films, making them sound perfectly natural, and not silent anymore. It would have to be done well, with great skill, and it could be.

Knowing that this could be done, would you be interested in seeing landmark silent films given this treatment?

Just curious.

Author
Time
Post link
IIRC, some silent films were turned into "talkies" either because they were in the can as sound took over, or were being reissued. How was Nosferatu revised?
Forum Moderator

Where were you in '77?

Author
Time
Post link
It's been given much more ... modern type music. =)




(Same true of the 80s Metropolis of course.)
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: ocpmovie
It's been given much more ... modern type music. =)




(Same true of the 80s Metropolis of course.)


Are you talking about the "Type O Negative" soundtrack version?

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

Author
Time
Post link
There's a million different scores for Nosferatu ranging from mind-numbingly inappropriate to perfection. The best score I've heard is one attatched to the archive.org print. No credit but it's great. There's also a pipe organ one that's good.

It's always important to research... a ton of silent films have surviving "cue sheets" which note what kind of music should be played when. Most silent films never had official scores, but a handful did - Metropolis' orchestral score is so perfectly timed, nothing can beat it. D.W. Griffith intended The Birth of a Nation to have a certain type of score (it had one composed by Joseph Carl Breill).

Some films depend on appropriate music... Intolerance has a synthesizer score - but it's EPIC. It absolutely needs an orchestral score (one exists for the Thames laserdisc/tape). On the other hand, The Unknown (Lon Chaney) has sort of an avant-garde synth track that's absolutely perfect for the film because of the weird nature of the film.

You just have to tread lightly. I'm going to be preparing some edited music tracks for some GBStv silents coming up (The General), but I'm going to research to make sure it fits appropriately.
"I was a perfect idiot to listen to you!"
"Listen here, there ain't nothing in this world that's perfect!"

- from The Bank Dick
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: ocpmovie
Is Robert Folk available?


Nah, but I'm going to just repeat the polo game track you sent me over and over. It's appropriate for any scene! I might even use it to dub over The Birth of a Nation. Don't you think the Thief theme would be good for the Klan riders galloping?
"I was a perfect idiot to listen to you!"
"Listen here, there ain't nothing in this world that's perfect!"

- from The Bank Dick
Author
Time
Post link
Foley and ADR on Nosferatu? I'd definitely get a kick out of that.

As far as the best Nosferatu score - my vote goes towards James Bernard's amazing score which was featured on the BFI Photoplay dvd.