Dawson City: Frozen Time

During the late 1970s, somewhere near the Arctic circle, construction crews unearthed literal buried treasure. Beneath the ruins of an old rec center, covered by a hockey rink, lay a stash of nitrate film prints; lost relics from Hollywood’s past. In all, nearly four hundred silent films were recovered and whisked away for restoration. Dated between 1903 and 1929, they’d been largely preserved and protected by the permafrost. An honest-to-god time capsule. Frozen Time sees opportunity in this old discovery, both to explore the past and to recognize the faded artistry of a bygone age. Using footage pulled directly from the cache, we note Dawson’s earliest days as a gold rush destination, its transformation into a small, family-oriented town with an appetite for cinema, and its gradual decline into obsolescence. Not exactly an unusual story for this region, but the top-notch presentation (all music and title cards, just like those forgotten films) and a few rich surprises make for irresistible viewing material. And the silent movie highlights, curated with a care, are something special. Absolutely mesmerizing. Along the way, we also get a little history lesson about the nuts and bolts of film. An essential component of the larger story that explains why pictures from this era are so scarce (a jaw-dropping 75% of all silent movies are now considered lost) and how so many of them wound up stranded in the same unlikely place. Fans of Ken Burns and very early cinema will have a field day with this. Count me among them.

A fascinating but flawed documentary that was based on a cache of old silent films discovered in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. The narrative tells of the boom and bust cycles of the town, beginning with the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98. It also tells of the terrors of old nitrate film, how combustible it was, and the many major fires it was responsible for. Images from the old movies are intercut with scenes from Charlie Chaplin's Gold Rush, interviews, and period photos. Alex Somers's music adds some nice atmosphere. Unfortunately much of the old film footage is in horrible condition and is hard to watch; it might have been nice if there had been some digital restoration or masking done. Additionally, the subtitles are small and clearly designed for theater screenings.