SFSFF 2011 - Sunday

Tales of Kevin Brownlow and Napoleon: This second installment of Amazing Tales From the Archives was dedicated to the long and dedicated struggle to bring this film back to it's original glory. It'll be pretty close when it screens at the Paramount Theater in Oakland in March 2012 - apparently there are still a few scenes yet to be rediscovered. It was a gripping adventure that held the nearly full house enthralled. I love his celebrity status; the applause whenever he took the stage over the weekend was nearly deafening.

Tribune-American Dream Picture (1924) I love this concept: write down your dream and send it in to the local paper - the Oakland Tribune, in this case. The winning entries will be filmed starring YOU and shown in the local theater. This tale of a missing baby takes the parents around the streets of Oakland, to the Ferry Building in San Francisco and back again. How great it was to see the local sites, cars and houses. I hope others in the series turn up.

Shoes (1916) I am so happy that the films screened during SFSFF were from different eras of silent film. I tended to watch films from the late 1920s when I first started with silent films. It was at this festival that I learned the beauty of the 1910s and especially Lois Weber. A clerk in the Woolworth's-like five-and-dime resorts to a fall from innocence to pay for a new pair of shoes. Like the other films I've seen from Weber, this one has gorgeously slow pacing and actors that attract attention away from the sadly cheap and unimaginative sets. I see Weber as rooted in her time but evolving towards a newer style. So good.

Wild and Weird: Short Film Favorites. I had seen most of these before, though the sounds of the Alloy Orchestra managed to suggest a different emphasis on the absurdity occurring onscreen. Ultimately, the percussion became too loud for me and I left to rest up for the next program.

Chess Fever (1925) A nation's obsession with chess and how the last remaining hold-out becomes converted too. Brisk pacing, sight gags and actors with natural good looks made this so much fun.

The Nail in the Boot (1932) Kalatozov's moving film from the end of the silent period. Beautiful Expressionist lighting, active editing, camera pans and angles (that reminded me of the work of the Futurists) and terse acting. Somehow, it didn't quite gel for me. The storyline was intentionally obtuse and I suspect the film was cut-up at one time due to the displeasure of the authorities. Still absolutely beautiful.

And that was the end of my marathon. The Sunday night capper, He Who Gets Slapped, I had seen before so I skipped out for home. All in all it was a lot of fun. I met a lot of people and saw a lot of old friends.

The most outstanding feature this year was in use of english subtitles superimposed via video projector onto the original title cards. Personally, I love to see the originals and their distinctive fonts and artwork so this way I could understand the meaning without losing the rhythm of the film.

SFSFF 2011 - Saturday

Saturday started with a bang - literally. An earthquake erupted at 4am, awakening me out of deep dreams of swashbuckling archivist adventures. I never really got back to sleep even after my long Friday at the festival and ended up arriving late on Saturday.

The Blizzard (1912) A huge herd of reindeer results in post traumatic stress syndrome. Gorgeous Swedish silent directed by Mauritz Stiller. Seriously, I very much enjoyed the Matti Bye Ensemble. The score is atmospheric and emotional, a loving support that keeps the rhythms of the film in the forefront. I will happily see any film screened when Matti Bye is involved. He wrote a piece for the program about his views on accompanying silent film. His two rules: keep the eyes on the screen and follow the dynamics of the film. He also mentions the importance of taking silent film seriously. I agree. I feel that some musicians are disrespectful by considering the film "as a backdrop for a concert" (Mr. Bye's words, my criticism.) It worked for the Velvet Underground performances, and rarely after that.

The Goose Woman (1925) Jack Pickford and Louise Dresser are amazing in this drama. I didn't care much for the story, which seemed to meander away from recounting a woman's quest to return to the spotlight. Seeing Ms Dresser's face express subtle changes in emotion in close-up was enough to carry me through. Stephen Horne played as collaboratively as ever.

Mr. Fix-It (1918) It was time to connect with both dinner and some sunlight, but I made sure to catch the end of this Douglas Fairbanks picture. Dennis James played the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. Just like a fireworks display, the most thunderous and animated section is the finale. The vibrations in the theater from the organ could just as likely be from Mr. Fairbanks' athleticisms. A great, fun combination.

The Woman Men Yearn For (1929) The highlight of the festival for me. Marlene Dietrich is so beautifully lit, she just glows. She's the convincing eye of the hurricane around which all drama swirls while she poses quietly and gracefully. German Expressionism is in full bloom which gives this film a firm noir quality. A must see for all.

Another full day tomorrow!

SFSFF 2011 - Friday

Today began with another episode of Amazing Tales from the Archives. This time, the presenters told stories of trying to identify films that have become separated from their titles or never had them to begin with. It really seems like a giant puzzle, trying to label a fragment by the hairstyles, type of cars, and even design of streetlights. Melissa Levesque said she had run a vintage clothing store for years, so she had an advantage when it came to identification by fashion. It sounds like a fun game to me! These programs by archivists are what inspired by to become an archivist myself. I was able to talk to a few of the presenters afterwards who had all kinds of advice for me as well as contacts. I'm further on my path to archivism now!

A Heart of the Forest (1913?) directed by Ralph Ince, tinted one-reel shown as a demonstration of the archivists' efforts.

Two newsreel segments, each featuring First Ladies wielding movie cameras:

Mrs. Harding, "Cameraman"? (1922)

Coolidge Trapshooting (1928)

Huckleberry Finn (1920) Entertaining, but I'd rather be talking more with the archivists. Directed by William Desmond Taylor. The director cast an actual African-American in the role of Jim, but I still find it hard to watch depictions of slaves.

Newsreel segment:

St. Louis to Chicago Airmail (1926) featuring a 4 year old Charles Lindbergh

I was Born, But... (1932) I love Ozu, and now I do even more. While watching this it struck me is how "silent" his later sound films are. The way that his actors take a breath and look into the camera before speaking, I half expect a title card to appear after the mouth starts to move. Here the camera moves in a brisk pan across the home instead of the famous pillow shots but the same lovely, leisurely pacing is already in place.

The Great White Silence (1924) The cameraman survived the Scott expedition to the South Pole and edited his film into a documentary that he took on the lecture circuit. Everyone loved the penguins, but I was fascinated to see how they travelled. Seeing the men pull the dog-sled themselves, set up camp and live in the tent was moving considering the end of the journey. Gorgeous glass slide photographs too.

Origin of Beethoven's Midnight Symphony (1909) featured some convincing double exposures.

Il Fuoco (1915) I was warned in advanced by accompanist Stephen Horne that this film was a little dated, and he was right. The costumes were absolutely stunning Art Nouveau creations of velvet and feathers. Its too bad the acting was rather hammy, rendering the swoops and leers of the actors as humorous and overly calculated. It seemed that they would pause mid-scene (or "vogue" in modern terms) as though waiting for suggestions from the director. It may have been the height of talent in Italy in 1915, but I was exhausted from nearly 12 hours in the theater. Stephen Horne's score was great and he was joined by Jill Tracy, who breathed lyric-free vocalizations which gave the music a Rosemary's Baby quality. It really helped temper the anachronisms of this dated movie. All this and the crowd were enjoying themselves but I left half-way through to rest up for Saturday.

SFSFF 2011 - Thursday

(I found a John Ford film I actually like)

It's thrilling and a little bit daunting that the San Francisco Silent Film Festival has spread out over four days. The opening night had two screenings - Upstream and Sunrise.

As much as I love silent film and the experience of watching it with THOUSANDS of other people (over 18 000 attend, according to the program), I really have to pace myself. Attending Upstream (1927) was mandatory since I heard the announcement at the festival last year. I'm so glad I did. The pacing was quick, the ensemble cast was terrific and I especially liked the balance of story time each character was given. I'm very happy this film was rediscovered. Donald Sosin's ensemble was wonderful accompaniment.

Why Husbands Flirt (1919) Cute and vivacious short feature, starring actresses with the largest eyes to hit the screen. Photographed by the great Ross Fisher.

I skipped Sunrise because I had seen it in a previous festival. I was also wary of a solo guitar accompaniment - you know by now my discerning taste considering musical performances alongside silent film. Mostly, something had to give as Friday seems to be a very full day.

Napoleon is coming!

What an exciting Bastille Day announcement - Abel Gance's Napoleon will be screened for 4 days next spring at the gorgeous Paramount Theater in Oakland, with the Oakland East Bay Symphony conducted by Carl Davis. Kevin Brownlow himself announced it tonight at the premiere program of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

A collective gasp, then a cheer erupted in the theater as the first few images appeared during the trailer. It took me a few more seconds to figure it out.

Keep March 24th, 25th, 31st or April 1st open. And yes, the triptych will be shown.