What are the major differences between silent movie and theatre? (ESSAY)

Marion Tasic

      What are the major differences between silent movie and theatre?

 

A silent film is a film which consists of only the picture, that is, it has no sound. The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as the motion picture itself, but before the 1920s, most films were silent.

The years before sound came to the movies are known as the "silent era" among film scholars and historians. The art of motion pictures grew into full maturity before the silent were replaced by "talking pictures", and a number of film buffs believe the quality of the cinema actually decreased for a few years, before the new medium of sound was adapted to the movies. Since the films could not take advantage of synchronized sound for dialogue, titles were edited in to clarify the on-screen situation to the cinema audience or add critical dialog. Showings of silent films usually were not actually silent: they were commonly accompanied by live music. Early in the development of the motion picture industry, it was learned that music was an essential part of any movie, as it gave the audience emotional cues for the action taking place on the screen. Small town and neighborhood movie theaters usually had a pianist accompany the film; large city theaters would have entire orchestras.                                                                        Silent Film http://www.filmbug.com/dictionary/silent-film.php (24/01/2017)

One of my favorite silent movie actors is Buster Keaton. He was one of the best Stunt Man, all of his stunts were real, and other actors looked up to him for being original and crazy in a way because some of his stunts, if they didn’t perform the way he wanted them to end, he could of easily lost his life. He had given his best shots, for him to be able to be at the stage he was. (Jackie Chan) one of the best Martial Artist and Stunt man, he was working on a movie called ‘Project A’ in 22 December 1983 (Hong Kong). Jackie Chan had to perform a crazy stunt which he wasn’t really comfortable doing it. Buster Keaton was there, he performed the stunt first then Jackie copied the way he done it. Therefore, Keaton was a big inspiration to Jackie Chan, where Chan has million and millions of fans today. 

Silent acting doesn’t really fit well in theatres, it is mainly done for films. The reason why, is in theatres it will be really hard to see the actors facial expression from a distance, which in a film, the face expression will be zoomed in that will allow to see the actors expression and tell how they feeling. In theatres it will be really hard to show that, unless the actor over exaggerates his emotions for him to be able to express his feelings towards the whole audience.

I love the sound of silence in the theatre. I don't mean the anxious silence you get when an actor forgets his or her lines, and the audience holds its breath like passengers on a stricken aircraft. Or even the Painteresque pause, a device now often overused and overrated. No, it's that moment after a truly brilliant performance when the audience remains sated and unmoving, as if willing the spell to remain unbroken for a little longer. This kind of silence fills an extra beat before thunderous applause erupts.

Theatre has a culture of its own that many people don’t understand. To those that do understand it, they often make it a very large part of their lives. Plays are sometimes attempts to spread awareness about problems like racism, sexism, homophobia, and other types of persecution. The playwrights write about something that matters to them as their form of expression. These issue plays help our society better function because they cause individuals to realize what is happening and take action.                              BRIAN SANDERS, (OCTOBER 2012) Importance of Theatre, http://briansanderstheatre.blogspot.co.uk/#! (24/01/2017)

 

The main reason people do theatre is to discover themselves. This means they want to come to a self-understanding and fulfilment. Human nature leads us to be original. Theatre is the perfect outlet for people to be original and to express themselves. This also helps to bridge the gap of our misunderstanding of why we exist. For many people, theatre also gives a purpose for life. Human beings naturally want to express themselves, and theatre is the most expressive art form. “This is why theatre is important: because it presents a reflective vision of a life that is vastly more fascinating and alluring than the one in which we’re stuck.”                                                                    SUMANA SAHA, (AUGUST 2016) The Stage, https://masqueradedinsurgence.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/the-stage/ (24/01/2017)

 

Reasons why theatre is important to our society.

#1 Creativity
Theatre helps us to develop our creativity. As our education system increasingly puts an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math, we cannot forget the importance of art. Let’s put the “STE(A)M” back in “STEM!”

#2 Education
Theatre is a great way to learn. Going to the theatre teaches us about people, places, and ideas to which we would not otherwise be exposed. Learning in a theatrical setting makes learning fun.

#3 Social Change
Theatre is a cultural space where society examines itself in a mirror. Theatre has long been looked at as a laboratory in which we can study the problems that confront society and attempt to solve those problems.

#4 Self-Empowerment
Performance permeates every aspect of our everyday lives. Power relationships are constructed through performances. Understanding how performances unfold around us can help us to recognize and take control of the power dynamics that affect us.

#5 Globalization
Theatre helps us understand people from cultures other than our own. We can learn a lot about people from cultures all around the world by studying their performance traditions. In doing so, we can learn to be less ethnocentric, and more accepting of others.

#6 The Body
Theatre reminds us that, even in this ever-changing digital age, there is a human body at the center of every digital transaction. Accounting for the body in the design of the future will help us make technology that works for us rather than us working for technology.

#7 History
Theatre is a great way to lean about history. Rather than learning history from reading it in a dusty textbook, theatre makes history come alive right before our eyes. Theatre makes learning about history fun.

#8 Self-Knowledge
Theatre teaches us about ourselves. It helps us understand how our minds and the minds of others work. It helps us to see how the environments in which we live affect who we are and who we will become.

#9 Self-Expression
Theatre teaches us how to express ourselves more effectively. It develops our ability to communicate our thoughts and feelings to others, improving our relationships and improving the world around us.

#10 Human Beings
The performance of theatre is a universal cultural phenomenon that exists in every society around the world. Human beings are the only animal species that creates theatre. Understanding theatre helps us understand what it means to be human.     KEVIN BROWN, (2014) The Top Ten Reasons Why Theatre is Still Important in the Twenty-First Century, http://www.tcgcircle.org/2014/06/the-top-ten-reasons-why-theatre-is-still-important-in-the-twenty-first-century/ (24/01/2017)