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What Do Those Old Films Mean?

1985

156 minutes

TV MovieDocumentary

Overview

Noel Burch’s fascinating and well-made (if at times historically contestable) six-part BBC television series, about early silent cinema in Denmark, England, the Soviet Union, France, Germany, and the U.S., mixes beautiful clips of rare films with various social theories about their significance.

Top Cast

Douglas Fairbanks headshot

Douglas Fairbanks

Himself(archive footage)

Mary Pickford headshot

Mary Pickford

Herself(archive footage)