The Haunted House

https://youtu.be/Zo2EKNRIQlE

The Haunted House is an excellent silent film. The actors the scene have a great sense of timing, use interesting body and facial expressions, and make the plot clear. One example of perfect timing by the actors was when the house begins to move in a tilted direction. As the bed slides on the floor, the actors are quick to follow, acting like they are falling along with the other furniture. This movie makes great use of set design. Characters such as flaming ghosts, goblins, skeletons and other creatures enter the movie quickly and in a unique way that engaged the audience. In addition, the movie has a lot of comedic moments. For example, when a ghost handles a tea pot, pours tea and cuts bread and a sausage with a knife, it becomes comedic due the ghost struggling to keep his area clean by constantly sweeping up crumbs. However, for it’s time, The Haunted House was probably frightening for its audiences. Scenes cut to an up close and personal shot of a goblin-type creature’s face. This is captivating due to the actors facial expression and his movements. This movie demonstrates how a movie can be scary and comedic even without spoken language or music. In a way, by doing this, it leaves a lot up the viewers imagination, allowing many interpretations. I learned from watching this movie that body expression and have excessive amounts of energy is crucial in a silent movie and any type of scene so that the audience does not get lost or bored. I also learned that in a silent movie, over exaggerating movements and acting can be very helpful to the viewer.