September 29th is the National Silent Movie Day, and Silent-ology and The Everyday Cinephile are hosting the annual Silent Movie Day Blogathon. I chose to participate in this event by recommending twelve silent films for each zodiac sign.

ARIES (March 21 – April 19)

Destiny (1921)

I think this film by Fritz Lang would appeal to the fiery temperament of Aries who always looks for excitement and intrigue. It is a “dark horse” of a film that is also an anthology, and is based on the Indian folktale of Savitri. Though it does not have the same reputation as Lang’s M or Metropolis, it nevertheless shines as a great piece of cinema and has also been very influential, as, for example, its personification of Death later inspired Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, and its special effects were way ahead of its time.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)

Greed (1924)

Greed is based on Frank Norris’s classic novel McTeague (see the review of the book here), and is now considered one of the first films to introduce a number of innovations in film-making, including sophisticated deep focus and elaborate on-location shooting. This San Francisco story, about a dentist and his wife (Gibson Gowland and ZaSu Pitts) who soon slide into poverty as they cannot control their growing avarice, will appeal to the comfort-loving, financially-minded and grounded Taurus.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)

The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Duality is at the core of Paul Leni’s silent film The Man Who Laughs, adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1869 novel, so it is a perfect film choice for Gemini, the sign of twinship, split personalities, and, at times, contradictory thoughts and emotions. This is a story of Gwynplaine, the orphaned son of a nobleman, who is forever disfigured by a wide grin on his face. Since the film’s release, it has undergone a re-evaluation, being called “one of the final treasures of German Silent Expressionism” (Roger Ebert).

CANCER (June 21 – July 22)

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

It is debatable whether Sunrise is truly “silent” since it used synchronized sound effects, but what is clear is that this film by F. W. Murnau is a masterful and atmospheric one, and is about a couple who find themselves at cross-purposes. It is based on the short story The Excursion to Tilsit by Hermann Sudermann, and since it is deeply romantic, would appeal to Cancers’ introverted and emotional sides.

LEO (July 23 – August 22)

Safety Last! (1923)

Confident, magnetic and dominant Leos deserve the very best (and they like to get the very best), so the comedy Safety Last!, starring the irrepressible Harold Lloyd, is just the film for them. It is hugely entertaining, and is about a department store sales clerk who gets himself in a bit of a situation at work after agreeing to the manager’s bet to promote the store. The film features some of the most iconic silent film shots, and the amazing thing is that Lloyd did many of his own stunts.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)

The Crowd (1928)

This film by King Vidor is a delight. It is about a man, John Sims (James Murray), who tries to make it in the big city after meeting Mary (Eleanor Boardman). There are many thought-provoking themes in this movie: the pitfalls of the American Dream, the heartlessness of a big city, and the traps of mediocrity. Perfectionistic and analytical Virgos, who value the practical side of things, would love this film that is considered a masterpiece.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)

The Docks of New York (1928)

In this story, stoker Bill Roberts saves a depressed woman, Mae, from drowning not realising what this may entail for the future. This is a film about the gritty, working-class life at the city’s waterfront. Libras, who value partnership and balance, and are always keen to understand all the perspectives in a story, will delight in getting to know the different characters and their various views on life. The stylish and moody film directed by Josef von Sternberg also stars Olga Baclanova, a Russian-born silent actress who became known as the blond femme fatale of the silent screen, but whose career took a tumble after the arrival of the talking pictures.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)

Scorpios are not afraid of the dark, and love a good mystery or a horror story, so Nosferatu will be right up their alley. It was filmed by F. W. Murnau, a German Expressionist film director, and stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire preying on the wife of his estate agent. Forget Robert Eggers’s remake of 2024, this film is the true origin of all nightmares.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)

The Navigator (1924)

Sagittarius is considered the sign of adventure, freedom and exploration, so they will fall in love with Buster Keaton’s The Navigator. Here, Rollo Treadway, a rich boy, boards the wrong ship, and ends up having an adventure on the high seas with the woman he loves – Betsy, the daughter of another wealthy man. This is a funny comedy – just wait till the scene where Treadway, in his deep-sea diving suit, shows himself off to the indigenous people.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)

The Goat (1921)

I love films about mistaken identities (Fury, North By Northwest, Being There, Catch Me If You Can) and this comedic one is one of them. Buster Keaton plays a man who is mistaken for a known murderer, and then goes on the run from the police (while also falling in love with a girl whose father is a police chief). Capricorn is the goat of the zodiac and would appreciate Keaton’s character’s resilience in this picture.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)

The Kid (1921)

Aquarius is independent, innovative, intelligent and humanitarian. Being always ready to help others and promote social causes, they will find themselves at home with Charlie Chaplin’s film The Kid, which revolves around the Tramp finding an abandoned baby and taking care of it. Now considered one of the greatest silent films of all time, The Kid is a perfect mix of feeling and humour, or as its caption goes – “a picture with a smile—and perhaps, a tear”.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20)

Paris Qui Dort (Paris Asleep) (1924)

This highly imaginative, dreamy and gentle picture with humorous scenes will fit the Pisces sensibilities. René Clair’s Paris Qui Dort is a sci-fi that was ahead of its time. It was the first one to portray the total stopping of time via a device in a place, in this case in Paris, where some people become “frozen” and others take advantage of the strange phenomenon. René Clair’s work is now unjustly underrated, and this debut is the testament to his great ability to blend the ordinary, real world with elements of surrealism and whimsical fantasy.