The stunts of vehicles in contemporary films are numerous thanks to the special effects produced with the help of computers. But did you know that they were already widespread in silent films of the Roaring Twenties? Of course the technique was quite different! Get out your strings and cables …
These days, blockbusters are rife with stunts, most of the time done using computers, software and green backgrounds. The ninth episode of the Fast & Furious saga, released in theaters on July 14, is a good example: jumping across a cliff using a small wooden bridge, crossing a field of mines … But in the 1920s and 1930s directors could not use these special effects. Discover in video behind the scenes of the cinema of the Roaring Twenties.
TO READ. Movie theater. French cars in foreign films
Stunts performed thanks to the D system
In the early 1900s, there was no budget to pay artists, let alone for stunts. The directors therefore often called on volunteer acrobats from the world of the circus. In the 1920s, silent films were booming and highlighted the visual side of cinema, still in black and white. Actors such as Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd or Charlie Chaplin democratize stunts on the screen, especially with vehicles.
As we can see in the compilation established by videographer Don McHoull, the directors used many tricks from the D system. Some image sequences were filmed in slow motion and then sped up during editing for more action, while cables and strings were used to hold pieces of bodywork together or tear them to shreds. On the other hand, the stunts performed by the actors were sometimes performed at the risk of their lives. In some of the excerpts, we clearly wonder how the shooting could have ended without drama!
