A well-dressed lady thief (Betty Amann) steals a precious stone from a jewellery shop. The aged jeweller prefers to let the young woman go, but the policeman who catches her explains he is obliged to pursue the case further. She tries to seduce the policeman (Gustav Frohlich), and he gradually succumbs to her charms, but her criminal background dooms their relationship when an argument leads to murder. One of the last great German Expressionist films of the silent era, Joe May's 'Asphalt' is a l find out more...

Two works from the father of narrative cinema. In "Broken Blossoms" (1919); a Chinaman arrives in London to teach the locals the ideals of Buddhism but finds them most unreceptive and, instead, opens a shop which becomes the refuge for a xenophobic boxer's abused daughter. Lillian Gish is brilliant and Griffith poetic. "Abraham Lincoln", (1930), was Griffith's first talkie and is a straightforward biopic from childhood to his premature assassination. find out more...

A silent classic. A temptress toys with three men in a hokey but elegant bit of melodramatic fluff climaxing with death on an iceberg. Renowned for its then electric love scenes the film was a big success because of the off stage Gilbert/Garbo romance. Archive material. find out more...

Shosho is a maid in a swanky night-spot when she's spotted dancing by the club's rakish proprietor, Valentine Wilbur. Soon Shosho has usurped Mabel as the star dancer and object of Valentine's affections, setting the scene for a dramatic denouement. A tenderly restored work, with a new musical score by Neil Brand, and a truly hypnotic early screen goddess in the form of Anna May Wong. find out more...

German folklore pervades this romantic tale of a man deciding to murder his wife and then changing his mind, in the end spending an enjoyable day with her. Dreamlike lyricism underlies the moral fable, achieving images of undeniable emotion and beauty. A silent, perhaps THE silent classic. find out more...

THAT NIGHT'S WIFE (Sono yo no tsuma) Young father Shuji turns to crime to pay his daughter's medical bills. Enter Detective Kagawa for a tense night-time stand-off with Shuji's wife, Mayumi. That Night's Wife demonstrates Ozu's masterly handling of drama as the film reaches its emotional climax.
DRAGNET GIRL (Hijosen no onna) By day sweet-faced Tokiko (played by Tanaka Kinuyo [Equinox Flower]) is an ordinary typist but come nightfall she's a fun-loving gangster's moll. When her boyfriend find out more...

Samuel Sweetland is a condescending farmer who finds himself all alone after the death of his wife. Along with his housekeeper, Minta, Samuel puts together a list of potential replacements, but his ego is about to take a much deserved battering. Much subtle slapstick and witty caricature, especially in a marvellously sustained sequence at a tea-party. An enjoyable adaptation of the play by Eden Phillpotts. find out more...

John Ford's 50th and most celebrated silent film demonstrates the ideals of expansion, enterprise and achievement, but condones racism and exploitation. The scale of this film surpassed all of the other silent westerns and put Ford in the history books. Double-dealing, vengeance and romance are all covered with a poetic sense of history as we see the country united by a trans-continental railroad, realized by a great man and brought about through the sweat of the working man. A classic, black an find out more...

One of the earliest Hitchcock films. 'The Ring' follows Jack, a prize fighting champion, who, after having been beaten by Bob Corby, finds himself sparring with the victor over his new wife, an increasingly tense situation that results in an emotional and brutal climax as the two men once again face each other in the ring. find out more...

A tale of romance, betrayal and redemption from the man many acknowledge as the first great film director, DW Griffith. Anna is a poor New England girl who moves in with her wealthy Boston relations, when she is made pregnant by local playboy Lennox she is forced to leave, but after the death of her baby she finds love with the son of the local squire. Way Down East is an epic and much copied piece of cinematic history. find out more...