Review: The Parade’s Gone By…by Kevin Brownlow

The Parade’s Gone By…[1968/76] – ★★★★ Today (29th September) is the National Silent Movie Day, celebrating early cinema and raising awareness about film preservation, and I am reviewing this non-fiction book on silent cinema by film historian Kevin Brownlow (1938-). Safety Last! (1923), Sherlock Jr. (1924), Greed (1924), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Metropolis (1927), Sunrise (1927), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), City Lights (1931) – these are some of the greatest films ever made, and they are all silent. Brownlow’s argument is simple: silent film is not some primitive, crude relic of a bygone era, but part of the richest tradition in cinema history. It is a unique mode of cinematic expression, and should be preserved and cherished in its own right. In the book, Brownlow alternates chapters on the craft of silent film-making (camerawork, editing, acting, etc.) with the insights into individual directors and actors, producing an intelligent, eye-opening book. Brownlow starts his book by talking about early, experimental forms of medium, and Vitagraph’s early days, before continuing his odyssey through cinematic topics and star interviews. There are separate chapters on D. W. Gri...