Compared to other art forms, cinema is an exceptionally young medium. In the grand scheme of history, moving pictures have really only accompanied humanity for a tiny fraction of modern history. It seems all the more incredible that films have become such a crucial part of the world’s culture — a level of importance that only keeps growing.
Throughout cinematic history, a wide and ever-engaging variety of excellent movies have been made, dating as far back as the early 20th century. Indeed, some of the most important, influential, and timeless masterpieces of cinema’s youth are already 91 years of age or older. If anything, this proves that, as much as it has grown and evolved throughout the decades, cinema has always been a perfect means to tell some of the most powerful and memorable stories ever told.These movies came out over 90 years ago but remain as revered today as they were back then.
10’Frankenstein' (1931)
Directed by James Whale
Back in the 1920s, Universal was bleeding cash. To get through their financial troubles, they started releasing cheap horror productions that would go down in history as seminal works in Hollywood horror. The popularity of this golden age of Universal monsters skyrocketed in the ’30s with films likeFrankenstein, an adaptation ofMary Shelley’s novel about a mad scientist obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several corpses.
Largely thanks toBoris Karloff’s seminal take on the monster (one ofthe best horror movie performances of all time),James Whale’sFrankensteinstands as one of the genre’s earliest masterworks. Sure, it’s lost most of its scariness factor now that nearly a hundred years have passed since its release. However, when it comes to old horror movies, it’s easy to overlook a lack of terror as long as there’s creepiness, solid direction, and a smart script.Frankensteinis a beautifully Gothic exploration of themes of life and deaththat certainly delivers in those departments.
Frankenstein
9’All Quiet on the Western Front' (1930)
Directed by Lewis Milestone
One of the earliest recipients of the Academy’s top prize and one of very fewBest Picture winners that received no acting nominations, the harrowingAll Quiet on the Western Frontis a deeply humanistic yet undeniably gut-wrenching war epic about a young German man eagerly enlisting to fight in World War I. However, his enthusiasm gradually dies out as he gets a firsthand view of the horrors of combat.
While some may prefer the much more explosive and action-driven tone of the 2022 remake, there’s just no beating the original. With a character-driven approach to its story and a highly humanistic outlook on its themes,All Quien on the Western Frontis a one-of-a-kind anti-war film made all the more poignantby knowing what would happen in the world just nine years later.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Watch on Tubi
8’Napoleon' (1927)
Directed by Abel Gance
Perhaps one of the most ambitious movies of all time — let alone of the 1920s —Abel Gance’sNapoleonis a masterpiece of French cinema’s early days, following the early years of the titular commander. At the time, it was one of the most revolutionary films ever made. Employing a wide variety of innovative techniques, such as fluid camera movements and in-location shooting, it became a timeless classic that’s still massively acclaimed to this day.
At a whopping five-and-a-half hours, Gance’s grand experiment is one ofthe longest movies ever made. The runtime may certainly be daunting for those unfamiliar with the characteristics of silent cinema, but those ready for such a gargantuan silent picture will be treated to a spectacle that must be seen to be believed.Action-packed and brilliantly directed,Napoleonis easily one of the best historical epicsof the ’20s. Though it was planned to bethe first of six grand filmsdepicting the life of Napoleon, the full project never came to be. Even in spite of that tragedy, Gance’s work has gone down in history as a masterpiece.
Napoleon(1927) is currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.
7’M' (1931)
Directed by Fritz Lang
The Austrian-AmericanFritz Langbegan his filmmaking career in Germany, where he found tremendous success as one of the main exponents of German Expressionism, one of thefilm movements that shaped cinema most strongly. One of the best movies he made there wasM, about criminals joining the German police on a manhunt for a child murderer.
“A surprisingly dark and terrifying film considering the time when it was made.”
Peter Lorreoffers one of the best performances in the history of German cinema as the killer in a surprisingly dark and terrifying film considering the time when it was made. The film itself is a pioneer of some of the most enduring and popular film genres, a masterclass in atmospheric dread that many have tried to replicate in subsequent decades. A psychological thriller of tremendous visual power and narrative intricacy,Mis a shockingly complex and profound analysis of the nature of justice and the darkness of punishment.
Watch on Max
6’Intolerance' (1916)
Directed by D.W. Griffith
As controversial of a figure as he is nowadays (and deservedly so), what can’t be denied is that American filmmakerD.W. Griffithis one of the most important directors in movie history. Without him, the medium simply wouldn’t be what it is today. His legacy was ensured with masterful films likeIntolerance, a nearly 3-hour-long historical epic interweaving tales of intolerance from throughout all of human history.
It’s just as easy to stand back and study what madeIntolerancesuch an influential work of art as it is to immerse oneself in its gorgeously told story and all its emotional impact.
One can certainly see the bare bones ofIntolerance. Still, seeing it set up a genreat a time when movies were only starting to becomea proper storytelling tool makes it an admirable achievement. Indeed, it’s just as easy to stand back and study what made this such an influential work of art as it is to immerse oneself in its gorgeously told story and all its emotional impact.Intoleranceis daunting but rewarding, one of many epics that built cinema into a leading medium.
5’Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans' (1927)
Directed by F.W. Murnau
Another one of Germany’s most important filmmakers,F.W. Murnauwas just as incredible an artist and influential a representative of German Expressionism as Fritz Lang. After working in Germany for years, Murnau moved to Hollywood in 1926, where he made three films. One of those wasSunrise: A Song of Two Humans, which has been praised as one ofthe greatest films of all timefor nearly a century. It’s a dark, romantic psychological drama about a sophisticated city lady who seduces a farmer and convinces him to murder his wife to be with her, but he changes his mind at the last moment.
It was definitely not common in 1927 to see movies with such grim subject matter, such complex and morally layered character work, and such strikingly gorgeous camerawork. Intelligent, romantic, and full of technical innovations,Sunriseis perhaps the final masterpiece of Hollywood’s silent era. Even for those who don’t like romantic melodramas, this is a must-see.
4’The Kid' (1921)
Directed by Charlie Chaplin
By the time 1921 came around,Charlie Chaplinwas already well-established in Hollywood as an incredible director of hilarious short films. That year, he made his feature debut:The Kid, where the Tramp cares for a child after his mother abandons him as a baby. However, a twist of fate puts their relationship in jeopardy. Chaplin was always a master of mixing highly effective elements of melodrama with ingeniously made comedic set pieces, and he showed that skill here.
Chaplin made plenty ofthe best silent comedies ever, but this was arguably his very best. It’s not exactly common for a filmmaker’s debut to be their best film — but, then again, Chaplin never was an ordinary director.The Kidis clever, amusing, and delightfully short at only a little over an hour long. However, it also packs a profound emotional punch, displaying all the abilities that make Chaplin one ofthe best comedy filmmakers of all time.
3’The Passion of Joan of Arc' (1928)
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
Though it’s probably best known for displaying one of the greatest acting performances of all time inMaria Falconetti’s gut-wrenching turn as the titular martyr,The Passion of Joan of Arcalso has oh so much more to offer. Told virtually in real-time, it’s the story ofJoan of Arc’s 1431 trial on charges of heresy. In the movie, the ecclesiastical jurists try to force her to tell them her claims of holy visions.
Falconetti — who only ever starred in one other film, which is lost, astonishingly making this her only surviving performance — carries the narrative and emotional bulk of the film with her larger-than-life performance. However,Carl Theodor Dreyer’s direction is every bit as commendable, full of poetically-composed shots that look just like paintings and a pace that flows beautifully.It’s humanly impossible not to finish watchingThe Passion of Joan of Arcwith a broken heart.
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Watch on Criterion
2’Man With a Movie Camera' (1929)
Directed by Dziga Vertov
A pioneer of European avant-garde filmmaking, Russian documentarianDziga Vertovis arguably one of the most important arthouse directors of all time. It’s only fitting that, inMan With a Movie Camera, he made one ofthe greatest arthouse movies of all time. Part documentary, part pure cinematic experiment, it follows a man as he travels around a city with a camera over his shoulder, documenting urban life.
Man with a Movie Camerais much more visually audacious, creatively unafraid, and artistically bold than any other experimental film of its time.
Man With a Movie Camerais much more visually audacious, creatively unafraid, and artistically bold than any other experimental film of its time. It begins with a prologue explaining Vertov’s intentions: to test the boundaries and nature of cinema as a medium by attempting to separate it from literature altogether. As such,the movie has no semblance of a traditional narrative. It’s up to audiences to pick up the images and try to make whatever sense they want out of them. A triumph of early auteurism,Man with a Moving Camerais a pioneer of multiple modern film genres and techniques.
Watch on Kanopy
1’Metropolis' (1927)
One ofthe best sci-fi movies of all timeand one of the most important of the ’20s, Fritz Lang’sMetropolisdoesn’t feel like a nearly 100-year-old film. Set in a dystopian futuristic city divided between the working class and the wealthy city planners, the plot concerns the son of the city’s mastermind as he falls in love with a working-class prophet.
Far from being just a tale of forbidden love (though it works exceptionally well on that level, too),Metropolisis a rich sociopolitical critique that feels way ahead of its time, just as much as it is a humanistic celebration of the heart and the mind working together in harmony. Not a single element from Lang’s sci-fi masterpiece feels dated. Not the beautiful special effects, not the stunning camerawork, not the terrific performances, and certainly not the masterful writing and direction.
