A very interesting film, considering it was made in 1911. I read somewhere it was very important, after its distribution in the U. S., for the further development of American cinema. Lavish sceneries, impressive sets, wonderful photography will be acknowledged even nowadays. What will be less appealing for today's audiences is - I think - the acting style.
As is often the case in the films of the period - after the early inception of motion pictures, but before their more uniform routinized productions of the '20s - film-makers had to face the problem of conveying meaning. Theatre was a model; but in films you didn't have the assistance of the spoken language. Before some more cinematic patterns were discovered and utilized (close-ups, just to name one) one could only rely on gestures. The usual cinematic shot of the period is the so-called wide shot, that shows the entire human figure; the movements and gestures that are possible, and visible, in this wide shot are those of the arms and legs.
That's why in "La caduta di Troia" we see all of the actors display an uninterrupted sequence of ample arm movements. It's like we just jumped in a Gym Class for Elders. Some of those movements and gestures are still intelligible today, as stereotyped significants for some emotions. Most of them are not, unfortunately.
As is often the case in the films of the period - after the early inception of motion pictures, but before their more uniform routinized productions of the '20s - film-makers had to face the problem of conveying meaning. Theatre was a model; but in films you didn't have the assistance of the spoken language. Before some more cinematic patterns were discovered and utilized (close-ups, just to name one) one could only rely on gestures. The usual cinematic shot of the period is the so-called wide shot, that shows the entire human figure; the movements and gestures that are possible, and visible, in this wide shot are those of the arms and legs.
That's why in "La caduta di Troia" we see all of the actors display an uninterrupted sequence of ample arm movements. It's like we just jumped in a Gym Class for Elders. Some of those movements and gestures are still intelligible today, as stereotyped significants for some emotions. Most of them are not, unfortunately.