Pre-1960s Films

I'll be honest I don't know much about the preferred content Steemit users like or dislike. But from my general perusing, I do see an open minded bunch of users. At the same time, I find some of the content...dare I say...homogeneous. That's not a bad thing - maybe just my opinion given I haven't scrolled below maybe the top 10 topics in any given tag/forum.

But given the open mindedness I see AND the fact that in general the user base seems genuinely interested in learning and sharing ideas, I thought I would just make a short topic about something I don't see much discussed here: films before the 1960s.

Now I think there are some obvious preconceived notions that they're probably slow, boring, corny, black and white or what have you. Maybe that's true. It's subjective I think. Certainly these older films have a different style to them. But I think that's a good thing.

If you enjoy music, you enjoy music. You aren't particular about the genre or the artist or the record label or the year or if it was charted. Just play the damn music and then make an opinion. The same goes for art, design, literature, or practically any other art form. It's about the expression, the technique, the style, the fact that everything rolled up together communicates and expresses something.

I'll stop rambling and instead give you something digestible: a list of films and you can make your own opinion. I tried to pick ones that aren't too obscure and can be easily found in DVD format in your local library and with English subtitles if necessary. They aren't in any particular order.

1. I Vitelloni directed by Federico Fellini (1953)

You know those coming of age films from the 70s-90s? Stand By Me or American Graffiti or Mean Streets? All derivatives of this Italian film. Fellini was one of those arthouse sort of Italian directors, better known for La Dolce Vita, but this film I Vitelloni my favorite and probably the only one I can stand to watch.

A bunch of young men have nothing better to do than to bum around their hometown, party, play practical jokes, loaf around, and in general try to pass the time like a bunch of adolescents who have nothing better to do. Sound familiar? I guess it may be presumptuous but I just assume everyone has had this feeling of wondering what they're doing with their lives, reflecting that they haven't done anything for as long as they can remember, and that they wish something would just happen. It's a powerful film, and it even though the characters are depicted as having fun, it's amazing how the exact opposite emotion is shared by the viewers.

2. Gilda directed by Charles Vidor (1946)

Probably better known as that film within Shawshank Redemption. This is a slightly quirky example of 1940s film noir: the sort of cynical, pessimistic, shadowy black and white films that are often satirized when one needs to quickly insert a joke about films of the Golden Age of Hollywood (Angels with Filthy Souls within Home Alone and Daffy Duck in The Great Piggy Bank Robbery). But that's only because film noir has a distinctive, quickly recognizable style: shadows, dutch angles, cynical male lead (think Humphrey Bogart), trench coats, and secrets. But Gilda has more than that - it also illustrates the classic Hays Code in effect - innuendos, off screen violence left to the imagination, and justice - which lead it to be briskly paced with exciting banter and one liners.

Gilda is a mystery, a romance, crime thriller, film noir, and classic Hollywood at it's finest.

3. American Madness directed by Frank Capra (1932)

Think of It's a Wonderful Life - same director and same theme: people are capable of anything. You are limited only by yourself. Again, a lot of snappy dialogue and brisk pacing (much shorter than It's a Wonderful Life in case you wanted a quick film) in this early (Pre-Code ) film.

4. A Face in the Crowd directed by Elia Kazan (1957)

I guess ever since Trump was elected President every fictional political demagogue story has been highlighted because it's no longer fiction, but reality. Life imitates art I suppose and this film is an interesting watch with the 2016 election in hindsight.

5. Scaramouche directed by George Sidney (1952)

Action, Adventure, Romance, Comedy. Yes this has it all. And a real script. I don't know about you all, but I find these early comedies much more entertaining than modern comedies. Yes, they do ham it up sometimes, but it works. Maybe it's the idealism or innocence (think early Simpsons), but there always appeared to be an underlying message of people trying to be decent.

6. The Bicycle Thief directed by Vittorio de Sica (1948)

Neo-realism from Italy. The slow camera, the extras in the background, the lingering camera, the amateur actors. This was not like Hollywood. A father struggling to support his boy and wife receives a state sponsored job following the war which requires a bicycle. Well...you probably already guessed what happens. Whereas Hollywood might've tried to turn this into a screwball, the Italians depicted real-life.

7. Citizen Kane directed by Orson Welles (1942)

I'd only repeat what has already been said about this film countless times: "greatest film ever"; "film school in a film"; "the film that changed film"; yadda yadda yadda. So I won't. Google it.

Just look at the camera angles and film techniques. Astonishing stuff that was revolutionary. And while the plot may seem a little familiar because it's been copied in practically every medium now, it nevertheless is an engaging story of a man who had everything...and nothing.

PS: watch the original trailer too.

8. Midnight directed by Mitchell Leisen (1939)

Screwball comedy that'll make you wonder why they stopped making them like this. Well, they sort of exist in distilled versions these days (Coen Brothers, Seinfeld, etc.), but this is the real deal. Again, I suppose it's the heart in these comedies that make them stick and stay relevant.

9. The Cranes are Flying directed by Mikhail Kalatozov (1957)

I don't know if I could've made a list without a war film. This is probably my favorite WWII film from the era. War is war, whether it's good vs. evil or the rich vs. the poor. It's people vs. people and life vs. death. I suppose Classic Hollywood just wasn't going to breach the subject with the same emotional pull as with the Europeans - this Russian classic does a fantastic job.

10. All About Eve directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1950)

Hollywood has its dark underside, and only Hollywood could've filmed it with justice. Theatrics, betrayal, fame, success, sex. Yes, it all existed back then too.

Ok. I clearly lost some stamina there at the end. I'm certainly much more of a reader as I've never posted any message this long on the internet because, and after this workout I must say all folks who write blogs for a living do a helluva job.

A disclaimer: the above films are not my favorite films of all time, but just a selection of some varied older films.