Saturday, November 8, 2014

Week 2: Representation, Reality, and Truth

While silent films are not exactly my personal 'cup of tea', they do represent a good example of using images and scenes to convey the messages that we normally would do with words.  When talking about 'slap-stick' comedy in the silent film genre, most people think of Charlie Chaplain.  But Buster Keaton had a large contribution to this genre as well.  He played in, wrote, and directed most of his films.  When viewed from today's standpoint, the films are not necessarily funny per se, but the comedic value is there, and this is why the slapstick function is still used today in films, albeit more refined.

The silent film can be said to encompass a great deal of what Plato was discussing in aesthetics, as far as visual representation goes.  A small clip of 'Our Hospitality' is included here for reference.


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