by Daniel Andrade
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Communication is a critical component of humanity. Without it, we cannot express ourselves nor fully understand each other. But what does it truly mean to communicate? Is spoken dialogue the only way we can get through to each other? While numerous studies have attempted to quantify precisely how much communication is verbal, it is usually agreed that anywhere between 70-93% of communication is nonverbal! With more than half of our interactions with each other being understood silently, how has popular media been able to impact audiences around the world? Recent multiple Emmy winner Primal by Genndy Tartakovsky and 2011 Oscar and Golden Globe winner The Artist provide excellent recent examples of how a resounding statement can be made without saying anything at all. So let’s take a look at what constitutes non-verbal communication, then do a quick dive into the transition from silent films to “talkies,” and end by discussing the above pieces of modern media that have truly exemplified the power of media without dialogue.
There are at least nine forms of nonverbal communication: facial expressions, gestures, paralinguistics, body language, proxemics, eye gaze, haptics, appearance, and artifacts. Facial expressions are often the first thing we will notice when communicating with others. The four facial expressions known around the world are happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. Gestures usually involve the movement of your head or hands; while there are some cultural variations, the most universally understood gestures are shaking or nodding your head to answer “yes” or “no,” pointing to indicate a direction, and holding up fingers to signify an amount. Paralinguistics refers to everything vocal beyond the words being said, including tone, loudness, inflection, and pitch. Saying something in a stern, slow, low voice will be much more intimidating than saying the same thing in a hesitant, fast, high voice. Body language has to do with posture and movement and is most well-known for indicating defensiveness (arms or legs crossed) or openness and comfort. A common belief in workplaces, for example, is that the superhero pose could increase confidence and project power. Proxemics is a fancy way of saying “personal space,” or our “comfort zone” and “bubble.” We’ve all become familiar with the need for six feet of social distancing lately, which is a big difference from the usual comfort level of 18 inches to four feet and may be why we feel more disconnected than ever. Eye gaze refers to how long we look at each other and how steady that gaze in. Staring at someone for a few seconds could indicate attraction, but staring too long will creep people out and convey a sense of hostility. A steady gaze could mean honesty and trust, while a shifty look could lead someone to believe you are dishonest or deceptive. Haptics pertains to touch and can indicate a level of care and concern or anger and hostility. Power dynamics can also come into play with haptics; a boss putting their hand on an employee’s shoulder conveys a different message than a mother performing the same action on her child. As with most of these forms of nonverbal communication, context is critical. Appearance includes hairstyle, choice of clothing, and even body shape. Interacting with a clean-cut person in a business suit, rather than a person who looks messy and unkempt, feels much safer and more legitimate. Finally, artifacts are objects and images we use to express further who we are and confirm our identities, such as uniforms (a lab coat indicates a doctor or scientist) and jewelry (a crucifix signals a person of faith). As you can see, when you put all of these factors together, it’s no surprise that so much can be communicated before we ever utter a word. Cinema knew this as well and was able to tell convincing stories for decades through their silent films, which makes the transition to “talkies” a fascinating and pivotal moment in history.
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In the early 1900s, many people spent 25 cents several times a week to enjoy a time of escape from the tedious and sometimes harsh realities of the world. Actors like the famous Charlie Chaplin brought characters like “The Little Tramp” to life through their body language and facial expressions, and because there was no dialogue, audiences from various cultural backgrounds and physical abilities were all able to enjoy the same story. Title cards (which could be translated) and live music added an extra layer to what the actors were able to bring to the screen. However, over a six-year period, it slowly became evident that silent films were simply not enough anymore. This transition started in the 1920s and is often broken down into three phases: Invention, Innovation, and Diffusion. Invention covers the time frame when filmmakers were learning how to sync up sound and film, and ended with the development and acquisition of the Vitaphone by Warner Brothers. Innovation refers to studios experimenting with this new technology and releasing hybrid movies and musicals like The Jazz Singer to test the waters and see if audiences were ready for this new type of cinema. Diffusion describes the mass release of “talkies” all over the country and the world, as well as the reconstruction of movie studios to conform to the new standards required to add sound to film. For a while, to ease in this transition, studios even continued to release silent versions of their talkie films. While audiences certainly adapted quickly to this new type of movie, many silent film actors were not as fortunate and referred to this new era as “talkie terror.” Actors like Reginald Denny were used to playing red-blooded American boys, which was entirely convincing when Denny didn’t have to use his strong British accent. Other silent actors had voices that were too squeaky or hoarse or even had regional accents like a Brooklyn accent that didn’t always match up with what audiences had expected. Others felt like Clara Bow, an actress who hated talkies because they were “stiff and limiting” and had “no chance for action, and action is the most important thing.” Because silent films relied heavily on body language and facial expressions, these actors were used to being big and expressive, so it was challenging for them to learn how to tone things down significantly. While it may have been a quick and sudden transition, it was a necessary one that changed the way audiences would consume entertainment for decades to come. However, silent entertainment has not been forgotten, and perhaps the few recent examples of it stand out that much more in a world that has become so loud and so chaotic.
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In 2011, French writer and director Michel Hazanavicius shook up Hollywood by releasing a mostly silent film called The Artist. Brought to life by the wonderful Jean Dujardin, it’s a charming love story that takes place during the era we just discussed and is a fitting homage to cinema’s roots. It’s a film that had actors, producers, and even some of Hazanavicius’s friends laughing at the very idea of it. Thankfully, he wasn’t dissuaded by this derision and created a movie that genuinely shows love to the source material, which makes sense since Hazanavicius remembers fondly going to see silent films as a young boy with his grandfather. But after over 70 years of talkies, it was definitely a different experience making this film. Dujardin had trouble initially connecting with the character, as he often discovers more about his roles through their voices. But on the other hand, working with a dog was much easier since you could shout out commands to it without worrying about disrupting the filming process. Plus, Hazanavicius used music to help the actors feel the mood he wanted to see on screen. The hard work paid off, as The Artist went on to win 5 Oscars (including Best Motion Picture), 3 Golden Globes (also including Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical), and numerous other accolades, proving that a good story works with or without dialogue.
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Similarly, in October of 2019, Russian artist Genndy Tartakovsky, well-known for being the creator of hit shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Star Wars: Clone Wars, released his latest animated show Primal. It is a silent mini-series that chronicles the adventures of a caveman and a T-Rex. Unlike The Artist, which relied on human actors to convey their message with nonverbal communication, Primal utilized the power of animation to make its statements. The show is stunning to look at with the gorgeous sceneries and vivid colors contrasted with brutally violent and often terrifying imagery. The show also takes things to another level by showing how humans and animals can also communicate and form relationships with each other, even if it may not always work out ideally. Numerous times during this show, I found myself getting upset, sad, shocked, and afraid. Tartakovsky explains why this happens: “...because the dialogue has gone, it drew people in more, and in a funny way, it made them pay even more attention, which was great.” He also acknowledged the challenges that came with animating a show with no dialogue: “...when we’re doing it without dialogue, you have to take special care to communicate everything. And so it’s extra drawings, extra poses, you need stronger animation. And so all those things just become more time-consuming. Not that they’re harder to do, but you just have to have a lot of trust.” Once again, this hard work paid off, earning Tartakovsky and his team critical praise and 3 Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for character design, storyboard art, and art direction. It was so well-received that an extra five episodes will premiere on October 4th, and a second season with ten episodes is also coming soon.
Many of us have grown up in a time where we are constantly bombarded by noise and distraction. Whether it’s the ding of social media notifications, a song playing on Spotify, or a movie playing in the background, we’ve become so desensitized to the sound that we’ve learned how to essentially tune it out and derive it of its impact. Perhaps that’s why we are forced to stop what we’re doing and pay attention when we do come across these silent forms of media. Thanks to the expressiveness of silent actors who mastered the art of nonverbal communication, we were given a blueprint for understanding human emotion. While we’ve come a long way from the days of silent film, the lessons they taught us on-screen live with us to this day. And thanks to the artists who are brave enough to try making film or TV without dialogue, we can continue to challenge our concepts of what makes good storytelling so compelling.
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