Silent Films: Good and Relevant.

Silent films, in my opinion, can be and are considered 'good'. While to some people certain silent films may only be of historical interest, the fact remains that all pieces of film from the silent era are very relevant to media today. A film such as Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat may not be of much interest to most people (myself included), but it is by no means irrelevant to the film medium as a whole. As discussed in class, there is much that can be learned about that time period from the movies that it produced. A movie like Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, however, can be and is still being enjoyed by people as a 'good' film. While some films are hindered by their age (due to the lack of advances in technology that could make for a more entertaining piece), others simply become better as they age, much like a fine wine. Aspects of Modern Times that make it enduring are the inclusion of a plot and humour. A good plot holds the interest of the viewer, while tasteful humour makes the experience enjoyable. These make it interesting to watch and therefore it has a better shelf life than something like, say, Workers Leaving A Factory, which was almost comical in it's simplicity. That said, I do believe that films from the silent era do retain the potential to be looked upon as 'good', if good means both entertaining and of substance.