"Birth of a Nation" (1915)
Do you ever feel like Hollywood is too liberal? Ever think maybe Spike Lee is just paranoid? Watch Birth of a Nation and maybe you'll have a different perspective. D.W. Griffith's 1915 epic about the noble origin of the Ku Klux Klan is a remarkable piece of work to say the least. One of the few films that is both morally abhorrent and aesthetically essential, Birth of a Nation is a necessary rite of passage for any serious film watcher.

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"Metropolis" (1926)
Fritz Lang's vision of the future is a pre-Orwell 1984, complete with plebian workers who live below the superior Elites. A foreboding vision of Germany's future, Metropolis is all the more noteworthy because it was made right before the Nazi's rise to power. It's also one of the most influential science fiction films ever made, introducing cinematographic techniques that are imitated even today.

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"The Gold Rush" (1925)
Charlie Chaplin's comedic masterpiece features the little tramp in some of the funniest scenes about greed and starvation ever captured on film. If you think you are hungry check this out!

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Practice Test...
Ready for a real challenge? Take the Silent Films Practice Test to find out whether you, like Gloria Swanson, are "ready for your close-up."

Other Silent Pictures...
If you are interested in watching other great silent films click here for a list of some of our favorites.