4/14

Being a film major, I already have already seen various films from different time periods and styles. Even though I have seen so many films, this was my first experience with Charlie Chaplin. I never thought about the serious issues Keaton and Chaplin tackle through their comedic performances. I have never compared the two either. I began to think about the ways comedic movies have changed from the past to the present. It seems that there is a bigger emphasis on one-liners and crude humor now. The silent films required expressive movement to portray the emotions and story, so the actors had to focus on their body than their words like today’s actors. In some ways, I believe that actors in earlier decades had more wit that many of today’s actors because of the lack of voice. Famous comedians today gain their fame from making jokes on stage and moving up to television or film. Some of the most famous comedians like Robin Williams or Billy Crystal have distinct voices which gave them their popularity. They would most likely not be in the same position if they lived 80 years ago. There are so many actors who would never have been in movies without sound because they have little or no expression.
The downfall with sound is the lack of emphasis on movement and personality. Many of the actors and actresses today have little or no character in their expressions because they are more focused on the words they say than how they say them. If sound was taken away from most of the popular Hollywood movies today, they would be boring.