4. The Big Parade
The Big Parade is a film starring the tragically underrated John Gilbert, one of the many silent film actors who struggled to make the transition to sound. It's about a rich idler who enlists in the army when the US becomes involved in World War One, and does an excellent job of showcasing all the horrors of trench warfare. The Big Parade is particularly notable for the simple fact that it was made in 1925, only seven years after the war ended. The director King Vidor was loaned hundreds of army trucks and airplanes, as well as over 4000 soldiers, from the US War Department. The result is a beautifully shot, chillingly realistic combat film, that occasionally looks like it's using actual war footage. The Big Parade has a palpable sense of grief and tension which can only come from having experienced the Great War firsthand. John Gilbert and Renee Adoree turn in masterful performances that defy the stereotype of silent film acting, and make this not only a great silent film, but one of the best war films of all time.