Suspense (1913)
In the National Film Registry
•
10m
Mother & baby alone. Tramp intrudes. Husband races home in stolen car. Split-screen suspense!
Suspense, a 1913 silent short by Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley, deviates from the standard one-scene, one-action format prevalent at the time. Suspense unfolds a thrilling narrative through parallel editing, a technique then in its infancy. We see the desperate plight of a wife alone at home facing a break-in intercut with the frantic efforts of her husband rushing to her aid.
Weber and Smalley further heighten the tension through innovative camerawork. Close-ups magnify the emotions on the wife's face, while high-angle shots create a sense of vulnerability within the home. The film even features an early example of a split-screen, allowing the audience to witness both the unfolding crime and the husband's mounting desperation simultaneously.
Suspense's influence on cinema is significant. The film's use of parallel editing paved the way for more complex storytelling techniques in silent films and beyond. It demonstrated the power of camerawork to shape audience experience and foreshadowed the suspenseful thrillers of later decades.
While not as abstract or surreal as some later experimental films, Suspense's willingness to break away from traditional filmmaking conventions secures its place as a pioneering work in the movement.
Up Next in In the National Film Registry
-
A Bronx Morning (1931)
Montage blends documentary & avant-garde styles. Kids play, vendors sell, families bustle. A Bronx Morning (1931) is a brief yet captivating glimpse into a New York borough awakening.
Created by a young Jay Leyda, the film transcends a straightforward documentary approach. While capturing the si...
-
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
Sea monster hunt leads to wonders aboard Nemo's Nautilus, ending with revenge & island rescue.
A pioneering spirit in early cinema, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) broke new ground with its cinematic techniques.
The film experimented with large-scale sets and special effects, creating a be...
-
A Corner in Wheat (1909)
Greed drives tycoon to corner wheat market, enriching himself & starving citizens. A Corner in Wheat (1909), directed by D.W. Griffith, unlocked new dimensions of film editing.
While silent films relied heavily on single-shot scenes, Griffith employs a technique called cross-cutting. He interspl...
