During the infancy of cinema, sound wasn’t a luxury that filmmakers could count on. For many years, silent movies were the only way to go, and even after talkies came into the scene, many directors still opted to make silent films. Numerous masterworks were made without the use of any sound, fromoutstanding silent sci-fi moviesto emotionally stirring dialogue-less dramas. However,comedy, in particular, is a genre that can greatly benefit from having no sound.
FromCharles ChaplintoBuster Keaton, the masters of silent comedies proved that you didn’t need verbal jokes or goofy sound effects to make audiences laugh out loud. All they needed was some outlandish slapstick or elaborate comedic set pieces, and that was enough for them to make the audience roar in joy.Time has been kind to these silent gems, as they remain highly regarded,with some being the highest-rated on the movie-focused social media platformLetterboxd.
10’Steamboat Bill, Jr.' (1928)
Letterboxd rating:4.0/5 stars
The legendary Buster Keaton, along with Chaplin, is the face of the silent era of cinema. Pretty much all of his films were hilarious and wonderfully made, but few are quite as delightfully pure movie magic asSteamboat Bill, Jr., which he directed alongsideCharles Reisner. In it, Keaton plays the fresh-out-of-college son of a no-nonsense steamboat captain coming to visit his father, whom he hasn’t seen since he was little.
Keaton is known for doing some of the most death-defying stunts of not just the era but all of movie history.Steamboat Bill, Jr.has one of his most whimsical performances and some of his most jaw-dropping stunts, including his most (in)famous: an entire building facade falling on top of him, as he barely avoids being crushed by standing where his body goes through a window. Add to that an emotionally touching story, and you geta great introduction to silent cinemafor those looking for somewhere to get started.
Steamboat Bill, Jr.
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9’I Was Born, But…' (1932)
Yasujirō Ozu, by far one ofthe best Japanese filmmakers of all time, is best known for his masterful naturalistic dramas, most of them talkies. In the earlier days of his career, however, he made quite a few excellent silent films- The best is perhaps the dramedyI Was Born, But…, about two young brothers who throw a tantrum when they discover that their father isn’t the most important man in his workplace.
Though most cinephiles agree that Ozu is at his best when he’s working with sound,fans on Letterboxd also think thatI Was Born, But…is definitely the peak of his silent work. With a great balance between emotionally affecting social commentary and some subtly applied comedy, it’s a profoundly complex work of art that tugs at the heartstrings just as often as it provokes uncontainable laughter.
Watch on Criterion
8’The Cameraman' (1928)
Letterboxd rating:4.1/5 stars
For those who enjoygreat movies under an hour and a half long, Buster Keaton’s filmography is unparalleled. One of his best and most famous exquisitely concise comedies isThe Cameraman, which he directed (uncredited) withEdward Sedgwick. It’s the hilarious story of a photographer who takes up newsreel shooting to impress a secretary. Armed with a big camera, a monkey on his shoulder, and his usual imaginative charm, Keaton creates one of the most timeless movies of the silent era.
Though the film’s main attractions are definitely the stunning set pieces and hilarious slapstick humor,The Cameramanalso has a surprisingly satisfying narrative of romance and an underdog coming out on top. Though it was the beginning ofKeaton’s notoriously atrocious collaboration with MGM, the sheer creativity and hilarity that managed to shine through in the final product shows the deadpan master at his best.
The Cameraman
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7’The Gold Rush' (1925)
Perhaps no silent movie star or filmmaker of the silent period is quite as famous, beloved, or influential as Charles Chaplin. Although he made numerous incredible silent projects, both shorts and features,The Gold Rushwill always be remembered asone of Chaplin’s best movies. It stars Chaplin as a lone prospector looking for gold in Alaska, where he gets mixed up with some colorful characters and falls in love with a beautiful woman.
The Gold Rushcontains some of the most iconic scenes of its director’s filmography, such as the magical bread rolls dance scene or the simultaneously hysterical and tense sequence with a house teetering on the edge of a cliff. Most Letterboxd users agree that it’s one of the best silent comedies ever made, thanks to some amazing visual effects, a moving story, and Chaplin at his absolute best as a performer.
6’Safety Last!' (1923)
Of the most famous Hollywood stars of the silent era who aren’t Keaton or Chaplin,Harold Lloydstands out as one of the most popular and influential.Fred C. NewmeyerandSam Taylor’sSafety Last!is perhaps Lloyd’s most famous role, about a store clerk who organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, unaware that a series of circumstances will force him to carry out the daunting task himself.
Lloyd is expressive but never a caricature; hilarious but also surprisingly human and relatable.It’s mainly his unique charm that makesSafety Last!such a fan-favorite among Letterboxd users, but the gags and story are also phenomenal and really creative in their own right. The legendary clock climb stunt may not have been nearly as dangerous in reality as it was when it was shot, but it has nevertheless stood the test of time as one of cinema’s most iconic images, cementing the film as one ofthe best comedies of all time.
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5’The General' (1926)
Letterboxd rating:4.2/5 stars
Probably Buster Keaton’s best-known movie,The Generalis set during the American Civil War. When Union spies steal Johnnie Gray’s beloved locomotive with his lady love aboard, the engineer must do all in his power to get them back. As well as having what might just bethe greatest stunt in movie history, the movie has the perfect balance between romance, action, and comedy.
Keaton directedThe GeneralwithClyde Bruckman, but it has his undeniable stamp of distinctive style oozing out of every frame. Before auteurial cinema was a concept, Keaton was nailing it with films like this one. Full of slapstick genius and with a truly intelligent and gripping story—something not often found in comedies of the era, which focused much more on gags than narrative—The Generalis one of the biggest masterpieces of one of cinema’s biggest pros.
4’The Kid' (1921)
It’s nothing short of stunning that Chaplin’s feature directing debut is still remembered as one of his top-tier works. Both profoundly moving and genuinely hilarious,The Kidis about a tramp who cares for a boy after his mother abandons him as a baby. But when the mother has a change of heart years later, she aches to be reunited with her son.
AlthoughThe Kidis every bit as funny as the rest of the slapstick master’s work, its most surprising quality is the amount oftear-inducing emotion that it holds at its core. A large part of it comes from the tremendous chemistry between Chaplin and his child co-starJackie Coogan, who offers one ofthe best child performances of all time. Their bond in real life wasjust as strong as in the movie, with some theorizing that Chaplin’s childhood heartbreak was what led him to care for Coogan so dearly, while others think that their relationship came from the filmmaker’s recent loss of a son.
3’Modern Times' (1936)
Letterboxd rating:4.3/5 stars
Although it offers some of Chaplin’s first flirtations with sound,Modern Timesis nevertheless very much a silent comedy—and one of the director’s funniest, too. With lots of interesting and surprisingly biting social satire, it’s the final feature film starring Chaplin’s most famous character: The Tramp. In the movie, he struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.
With Chaplin at his most hilarious both as a highly physical comedic actor and as a director with a sharp eye for attractive visuals and exhilarating set pieces,Modern Timesfeels like the perfect swan song not just to its director’s silent movies but to the silent era in general. As funny as it is moving,Modern Timesis full of iconic scenes, and it has one of the most nuanced stories in Chaplin’s body of work. It is #153 onLetterboxd’s official top 250highest-rated films list, as well as one ofthe best classic comedies.
Modern Times
2’City Lights' (1931)
The most beloved Charles Chaplin movie on Letterboxd,City Lightsis one ofthe best romantic comedies of all time, a highly influential precursor to the genre as we know it today. It’s the story of a Tramp who falls in love with a flower girl, setting out to accumulate enough money to help her medically with the occasional aid of a wealthy, erratic drinker.
City Lightsis full of beautifully directed sequences that make it impossible not to laugh out loud. Accompanied by a genuinely touching tale of romance the likes of which only Chaplin could have made at the time, it becomes a worthy possessor of the #86 spot on Letterboxd’s official top 250.City Lightsis undoubtedly one of the best-known and most popular silent comedies ever made, and there are plenty of good reasons for that.
1’Sherlock Jr.' (1924)
Letterboxd rating:4.4/5 stars
Although it’s only 45 minutes long,Buster Keaton’sSherlock Jr.is the highest-rated silent comedy on Letterboxd. Its breezy runtime is more than enough to tell the exciting, often surprisingly surrealistic story of a film projectionist who longs to be a detective, putting his meager skills to work when he’s framed for stealing his girlfriend’s father’s pocketwatch.
Keaton’s idiosyncratic style as an actor is at its best here, as well as his tremendous skills behind the camera, with some of his career’s best and most memorable stunts present. Easily one of the bestcomedies made prior to the institution of the Hays Code,Sherlock Jr.is the 70th highest-rated feature on Letterboxd, and it isn’t hard to see why. Creative, flawlessly edited, and thoroughly funny, it’s silent comedy at its best.
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