The MoFo Top 50 Pre-1930 Countdown: The List

Both The Great Train Robbery and Nanook Of The North are ok watches, the former does contain an early example of camera movement and the latter covers an interesting subject but neither were ever really in contention for my list.

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Great Train Robbery and Nanook of the North were both on my list. Great Train just feels so influential, obviously since not much was made before it that often gets recognized. Nanook is the better of the two, I want to see it again and don't really care about the fact that it may be historically inaccurate.

That puts me at 6 seen, with 4 from my list.

I had The Last Man at #23.

I've seen The Great Train Robbery and Nanook of the North, both decent and historically interesting and influential, but neither quite made the cut for my list.

I've also seen Birth of a Nation, but really didn't like it. It's definitely extremely racist and offensive and not just 'of its time'. I also think it includes some of the worst aspects of Griffiths, choppy, melodramatic and filled with cringey caricatures, with fewer of the redeeming features.

The Great Train Robbery and Nanook of the North are both fantastic films. I had the latter on my list, probably somewhere around the middle I think.

I haven't seen Birth of the Nation, although I think I'll find it great considering how much I enjoyed Intolerance. The Circus I don't think I've seen but I'll get to it soon.

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Two movies I had already seen before this countdown, both fine but didn't get my votes. I preferred The Great K & A Train Robbery.

Seen Great Train Robbery, voted for neither.
Seen: 5/16

My List::
23. The Man Who Laugh (#48)

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I have seen the The Birth of a Nation (1915) by D.W. Griffith, but as I wrote before i genuinely dislike it and i rate it . The Great Train Robbery (1903) is alright, but not that interesting imo . Neither made my list.

Nanook of the North (1922) by Robert J. Flaherty was my no. 17 and i wrote about it in my movie / book review thread:



Nanook of the North (1922) by Robert J. Flaherty

This film is primarily for cinephiles interested in etnographic documentaries. I have a huge love for Harvard Etnographic Lab and their recent documentaries, especially Leviathan by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel. Nanook is the forefather of such kind of documentaries even if Flaherty admitted that documentary as such was staged and Nanook castet for the role. The film is by no means a technical masterpiece but an interesting piece of film history.

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I had Great Train Robbery at 15 on my list, a very entertaining little short.

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I haven't seen the last two, in fact I haven't seen many of these so far, and yet Ive seen a number of silent films. I guess my favorites are going to be at the top of the list

Pretty sure I voted for both of these.

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I don’t know why I love Chaplin’s The Circus that much but I do. I really like how it almost blended the two worlds of Chaplin with a lot of classic slapstick and fun and then more dramatic in the second act. I had it all the way up at #4.

I also had The Great Train Robbery on my list. One of those early films that was truly impressive for its time. It had to be on my list. I had it at #11

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The Great Train Robbery is one I wanted to see and didn't get to, but would very much like to see in the near future as I go through my Watchlist of films in the Countdown. Adding to the list, The Great K & A Train Robbery due to @cricket's remark about preferring it over TGRR is recommendation enough for me to be curious about it.


(For my own assistance, a copy of K&A WITHOUT backup sound/music)






MY LIST: Seen 7 out of 16 (43.75%)
8) The Hunchback of Nortre Dame (#41)
14) A Dog's Life (#39)
16) The Man Who Laughs (#48)
22) Underworld (#47)
25) The Iron Mask (One Pointer)

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Phew, finally one from my list appears in the countdown proper, that being Broken Blossoms which was my #20. A tale that's nicely presented with good performances from both Lil Gish and Donald Crisp whilst Richard Barthelmess is actually quite suited to his role even if modern society may frown at it in hindsight. Steamboat Bill, Jr. has its moments but for me isn't up there with Keaton's best and thusly was never in contention for a spot on my piece of etheric parchment.

Seen: 17/18
My list:
20. Broken Blossoms (D.W. Griffith, 1919) [#34]
25. Helen Of Four Gates (Cecil M. Hepworth, 1920) [1-ptr]

Haven't seen either.

Seen: 5/18

My List:
23. The Man Who Laughs (#23)