Playtime. Dunno if I was so much devastated by it as delighted, which may be better…
Sandro Aguilar’s Uprise
The first film that came right to my mind was 200l. I’m reading a book about it by the French author Michel Chion and I believe he says that there are only forty something minutes of dialog in the whole film. The first part, The Dawn of Man, has no dialog, and that goes on for at least twenty minutes and the ending with Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite which is, I would say, another twenty minutes or so, also features no dialog.
Wow, great list. Only because I love a lot of laconic films and because your list has several I have heard of but haven’t seen yet, so I’m inspired now. Thanks!
Playtime -Uprise added to my queue.
Re: 2001
Definitely minimal – but the whole discourse between Hal and the human was all dialogue. So I guess that may take it out of contention no?
2001 has more dialogue than even the HAL exchange, so that’s definitely not one (though great film, ha).
I was thinking maybe something like Koridorius or Tetsuo.
Tati’s Traffic too. Tale of Tales, Hedgehog in the Fog.
Shineto Kando’s superb film The Naked Island has zero spoken dialogue.
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles and Les Rendez-vous d’Anna, both by Chantal Akerman
I like dialogue, though.
@Risselada:
Thank you – just looking at your list I totally forgot about
Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Aguirre The Wrath of God
The River
Do you really have film algorithms on your page? Wow. Awesome.
Tsai Ming-liang’s Viv l’Amour has close to zero dialogue as well.
Most of Sharunas Bartas’ films have close to zero dialogue.
Red Balloon
Brand Upon The Brain!
Does The Last Laugh count? I know it’s a silent film and silent films have no spoken dialogue, but the film uses only one title card. That’s pretty spare in my book.
Good one Blue K. The Naked Island has everything to say but says it with nothing. But it’s Kaneto Shindo not Shineto Kando haha
It’s surname first in Japan remember…….
@Nathan M.
I was having trouble including silent films because of their reliance on title cards. Also I’m incorrigible about my latency in watching things black and white. I’m a sucker for modern neo-realism.
I’m trying though haha!
hahahahaha either way, i had it wrong. it’s my mild dyslexia divulging itself in that thread.
that’s ok Blue, I once said Ally Wooden…
Recently Bullet in the Head was quite enjoyable to me, thought it’s just background sound all the way through the film.
Stalker?
Blue already mentioned them, but Bartas’ Few of Us and House should be included. Corridor also has zero dialogue, but it’s not a five star film in my mind.
Brand Upon the Brain! has a lot of voiceover, though minimal dialogue between characters. Just the voice of the mother overwhelming everyone else. I don’t think Tales from the Gimli Hospital has any dialogue at all.
José Luis Guerín’s Train of Shadows is closer to a documentary (albeit a faked one), and it only has one very short line of dialogue.
Mmm Decasia? though it’s non-narrative, but that’s a 5-star for sure
Jancso’s The Red and the White.
I second The Red and the White. Good call, Ralch.
Tsai’s Visage also has remarkably little dialogue (and is one incredible film experience).
Eraserhead
Travelling Birds
Limits of Control
Mr. Hulot’s Holiday
Goodbye, Dragon Inn
I will throw in Ettore Scola’s Le Bal in that thread, it’s really ironic that it was nominated for a Best Foreign LANGUAGE film when there’s no spoken dialogue at all…
filtered by ur preference, heres some films i would suggest:
gummo
window water baby moving
the brown bunny
mother and son
alamar
It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books
the flight of the red ballon
In the City of Sylvia
REDLETTERPRINTS
My contention being that dialogue is unnecessary. Period.
My goal is to gather info on more great films because this particular strain is my favorite.
Many may disagree and I would love to hear a rational explanation of why – but in as few words as possible.
So:
For you awesome transcendental, minimalist extremists, feel free to unleash yourself and list films that have devastated you the MOST by saying the LEAST. We’re talking 4 or 5 stars listed from least dialogue to most.
Note:
Modern films and documentaries preferred.
All opinions will be respected.
Me:
1. Into Great Silence
2. The Naked Prey
3. Maborosi
4. Café Lumière
5. Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time
6. 4
7. Hunger
8. Color of Pomegranates
9. Humanité
10. Days of Heaven