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Silent Classics
The first three decades of cinema gave us some of the greatest films ever made, which had to tell their stories purely visually, giving us countless unforgettable images.
Thanks to excellent preservation and restoration efforts, these films are now available to watch in pristine condition, often with new scores by world renowned musicians.
Sunrise A Song of Two HumansSunrise A Song of Two Humans
Drama192775 minsSilentDirector: F.W. Murnau
F.W. Murnau's enduring fable of love, loss and redemption; one of silent cinema's last and most luminous masterpieces. Presented here in its alternate Czech archive version.
MetropolisMetropolis
Science Fiction1927150 minsSilentDirector: Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang’s expressionist, dystopian vision is one of the first science fiction feature films, and is arguably the most influential.
The Passion of Joan of ArcThe Passion of Joan of Arc
Biopic192880 minsSilentDirector: Carl Th. Dreyer
An incontestable masterpiece of silent cinema, Carl Dreyer's deeply moving biopic features one of the most powerful performances ever captured on film.
The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Horror191977 minsSilentDirector: Robert Wiene
One of the most iconic masterpieces in cinema history, Robert Wiene’s expressionist nightmare shook filmgoers worldwide and changed the direction of the art form.
Woman of TokyoWoman of Tokyo
Melodrama193345 minsSilentDirector: Yasujirō Ozu
Chikako (Yoshiko Okada) works hard to pay her brothers Ryoichi’s (Ureo Egawa) college fees, but disaster looms when he learns the true nature of her work.
The GeneralThe General
Comedy192679 minsSilentDirector: Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman
Buster Keaton's masterpiece is widely and rightly regarded as one of the greatest comedies ever made.
Sherlock Jr.Sherlock Jr.
Comedy192445 minsDirector: Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton's superb, sophisticated silent comedy in which he dreams himself into the movie he's watching, in order to win back his girl.
Steamboat Bill, Jr.Steamboat Bill, Jr.
Comedy192871 minsDirector: Charles F. Riesner
Waterway hi jinks abound in this Buster Keaton classic, in which he plays the reluctant heir to his father's paddle steamer business.
City LightsCity Lights
Comedy193187 minsSilentDirector: Charles Chaplin
The Tramp wins the affections of a blind flower seller (Virginia Cherrill) in this hilarious but heartbreaking comedy – one of Charlie Chaplin’s uncontested masterpieces.
I Was Born, But...I Was Born, But...
Comedy193287 minsSilentDirector: Yasujirō Ozu
Ozu's silent masterpiece follows two brothers as they try to outwit the local bully.
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
Comedy193286 minsSilentDirector: Yasujirō Ozu
Ozu’s long-term collaborator Kogo Noda scripts a subtle shift from light to dark as Hirano’s carefree college life is marred by tragedy.
Dragnet GirlDragnet Girl
Crime1933100 minsSilentDirector: Yasujirō Ozu
A seemingly ordinary typist moonlights as a fun-loving gangster's moll in one of Ozu's most enduring silent films.
The Epic of EverestThe Epic of Everest
Non-Fiction192487 minsDirector: J.B.L. Noel
Premiere. A breathtaking and poignant account of the valiant 1924 British assault on the awe-inspiring peak, beautifully restored by the BFI.
The Great White SilenceThe Great White Silence
Documentary1924107 minsSilentDirector: Herbert G. Ponting
The BFI Archive's restoration of Herbert Ponting's official film record of Captain Scott's tragic expedition to the South Pole, with a new score by Simon Fisher Turner.
NosferatuNosferatu
Horror192289 minsSilentDirector: F.W. Murnau
This influential Dracula adaptation contains some of the most famous images of expressionist film, and remains shocking and stylish after 100 years.