Lost in the Movies: Jazz Age Visions 1926 - 1929 • "32 Days of Movies" Day 2

Jazz Age Visions 1926 - 1929 • "32 Days of Movies" Day 2


The second chapter of "32 Days of Movies", an audiovisual tour through 366 films.


View "Chapter 2: Jazz Age Visions"
(2015 update - includes Vimeo embed after the jump)


Jazz Age Visions

Following the first flush of discovery, when the miracle of movement held everyone in thrall, great directors began pushing cinematic boundaries. The tempo picked up, the effects became more elaborate, the techniques sharpened and personalized. This adventurous spirit reached its height in the late twenties - the films here provide name after illustrious name in the auteur canon. It would be another forty years before filmmakers had such freedom again, yet most of these young men would continue working, albeit often under difficult circumstances. Here was where they got their start - in the last, heady days of the silent era, as the Jazz Age boomed towards its bust and visions spoke louder than words.





I covered a film from this chapter here, and posted an essay by someone else on another here.



Thanks to Sam Juliano and Allan Fish of Wonders in the Dark, who pointed me in the direction of several titles here (and in many upcoming chapters as well).

3 comments:

Stephen said...

I've just watched the first two entries. They make an excellent taster menu for dishes (films!) I have not tried - Menilmontant, The Manxman or La Merveilleuse Vie de Jeanne D'Arc. You get a flavour of them from these clips.

I also get a better idea of your likes/dislikes (I don't know how many of these were acquired 'blind').

Joel Bocko said...

Best comment I could hear!

As for "blinds" - the first two I got as parts of collections, not for their own sake (though I had seen Menilmontant before), the third I believe I sought to acquire, but I never heard of it till Allan's silent countdown so I kind of credit that one to him.

Likes/dislikes are...tough to assess from here. (Particularly dislikes as there's a lot of favorites I don't own yet.) I disclaimed all favorite/best claims in the intro, but still by and large you do get a sense of my inclinations from this collection, however skewed. Like you'll see a lot of Godards and a fair amount of eccentric short choices (experimental, animated, music video down the line).

Hope you keep enjoying!

Stephen said...

The first films I bought were educated guesses - sounded good, trailer looked good. Nowadays I don't buy anything blind, unless it's a film by someone whose work I've always liked (like Godard!). I've probably got a similar size 'collection' to yours.

"...a fair amount of eccentric short choices (experimental, animated, music video down the line)."

Nice. Thanks.

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