Nominees: The Wind, The Cameraman, Storm Over Asia, Pandora's Box, The Docks of New York, Piccadilly, Lucky Star, The Wedding March, Beggars of Life, Arsenal, The Living Corpse, The New Babylon
Oscars pick: The Broadway Melody
Nominees: The Alibi, Hollywood Revue of 1929, In Old Arizona, The Patriot
Understandably, the industry, fans, and critics were all atwitter over these newfangled talkies. Hence, we see some lightweight music and dance films garnering a lot of attention, while the old-fashioned silent movies were largely ignored. Only one silent received a nomination, The Patriot, (a lost movie and the last silent film to receive a nomination until the Artist in 2012).
Among the great silents that failed to receive nominations were Victor Sjöström’s brilliant The Wind with Lillian Gish, Keaton’s last classic The Cameraman and Josef von Sternberg's unsentimental The Docks of New York.
Another dazzling edition to Oscar's nominations would have been the Russian experimental strangeness know as Man with a Movie Camera. It had no intertitles, no story; it’s pure cinema. A collage of images that TV’s movie guide called, ”…a startlingly avant-garde cross-examination of modern life, as well as a lesson in the power of filmmaking and an autopsy of its methods”
This comes down to a two-horse race between The Wind and Man with a Camera. I do know that none of the Oscar's choices left as much of an impression - Mmm, it’s tough, but I can’t help myself; I gotta go with another experimental piece. Man with a Camera is an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience, and I think the new modern soundtrack by the Cinematic Orchestra adds to the surreal feel of it. I strongly recommend checking it out for yourself (YouTube keeps removing it, but Vimeo has a copy https://vimeo.com/143512746
April 2023 Update: I had an opportunity to watch this on the big screen with live accompaniment by Montopolis - I'm pretty picky about the music on this film, but they did incredible work here, it's every bit as brilliant as the score performed by the Cinematic Orchestra.
🎭Acting? I nominated a lot of ladies and had a difficult time choosing between Wong, Brooks, and Gish. I had an easier time of it with the men. Though I was tempted to give Keaton his second acting win, I elected to award the prize to Inkijinoff. I've read criticisms that questioned the performance - was he too laid back; can he act at all? But trust me, I've seen him in other films where he chewed the scenery with abandon, and I believe it was a conscious choice by either the director or actor (or both) to play it reserved and natural - until the end, when Inkijinoff unleashes a sudden blast of emotion that rocks you out of your seat.
Honorable Mentions:
Erich von Stroheim, The Wedding March * George Bancroft, The Docks of New York * Buster Keaton, The Cameraman * Lon Chaney, West of Zanzibar & Where East is East * Lars Hanson, Homecoming * Douglas Fairbanks, The Iron Mask
Honorable Mentions:
Anna May Wong, Piccadilly & Song * Louise Brooks, Pandora's Box and Beggars of Life * Marion Davies, Show People * Betty Compson, Docks of New York * Yelena Kuzmina, New Babylon * Janet Gaynor, Lucky Star * Colleen Moore, Why Be Good? * Estelle Taylor, Where East is East * Simone Genevois, Saint Joan the Maid * Bessie Love, The Broadway Melody
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Supporting Actor: Wallace Beery, Beggars of Life
