Below is a list of the top ten essential films from the decade. If you went through these, you'd be getting a pretty darn good highlight reel of what was happening in the twenties. These are of course based on the films I saw; there may be others out there waiting for me to discover.
Without further ado:
10. Tol'able David
A beautifully rendered melodrama, Tol'able David tells a story of the death of childhood innocence. It revels in the quiet moments that make you appreciate the idyllic existence of David and his family. Richard Barthelmess is fantastic in the title role and character actor Ernest Torrance provides a memorable villain.
9. The Iron Horse
John Ford. Western. Enough said, right? The strange thing about The Iron Horse's plot is that it's the least interesting aspect of the film. Where the film shines is in Ford's detailed observations about how life on the railroad progressed. He creates an American mythology I find fascinating.
8. The Seven Chances
I tried to avoid including more than one movie by the same director in my top ten, but Buster Keaton is the exception to that rule. The Seven Chances may be the funniest film I saw in the 1920s. Keaton needs to get married or forfeit an inheritance and the crazy turns this story takes never fail to make me laugh.
7. The Unknown
It's not surprising to me that a Lon Chaney film ended up on my top 10. I would have never guessed The Unknown would be the pick. This tale of a fugitive on the run posing as an armless circus performer features Chaney in one of the best performances I have ever seen.
6. Flesh and the Devil
Flesh and the Devil is a film that was not on my radar at all before I caught it as part of this marathon. Now, that I've seen the film, I cannot get its imagery out of my head. The inventive lighting in the opening scenes. The picturesque island surrounded by ice. Most of all, it stands as a melodramatic examination of the love amongst three people.
5. Greed
Erich Von Stroheim's adaptation of the novel McTeague is filled with repulsive and grotesque characters, each with their lust for more. Every character and beat is exaggerated. The downward spiral that these characters ride and Stroheim's visual flair create a beautiful paradox of a film, an epic that remains intimate.
4. The Kid
For the most part, Charlie Chaplin disappointed me this decade. The Kid is an absolute exception to that. The Tramp's touching yet funny tale of a vagabond and his adopted son never plays a false note. And watching "the kid" momentarily ripped from the only parent he has ever known is one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever committed to celluloid.
3. Metropolis
If not the best film of the 1920s, Metropolis may be my favorite. Fritz Lang's epic tale of a future world is on its surface a triumph of artistic design. But below the film's slick veneer, a tragic revenge story plays out and tough (yet prescient) political questions are asked.
2. The General
I have officially come full circle on this. After struggling with my own preconceptions that this was a comedy (it's much more), two additional viewing have completely won me over. Keaton (again) both directs and stars in the Civil War-era tale of a man, a girl and a locomotive. It's endlessly inventive with epic action scenes and yes, a fair bit of humor.
1. The Last Laugh
F.W. Murnau's story of a hotel doorman whose role (and world) are stripped from him is about as perfect as film gets. The blending of Murnau's expressionist imagery and Emil Jannings' performance produce some of the purest and most compelling visual storytelling ever.
Honorable mentions include Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler, The Jazz Singer, The Last Command, Sherlock, Jr., Steamboat Bill, Jr., Nosferatu, Steamboat Willie, Safety Last and Beyond the Rocks.
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