Alice Guy-Blaché directed hundreds of films between 1896 and 1920. She wanted audiences to feel like they were watching real people on screen. She would encourage actors in her films to behave naturally. Guy-Blaché even hung a large sign reading “Be Natural” in the studio where she made her films. At the time, films lacked sound, so actors needed to rely solely on their bodies and facial expressions to convey emotions. As a result, actors tended to highly exaggerate their actions and expressions. The style of acting in Guy-Blaché’s films was therefore ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Explanation
Context: In silent films, actors lacked sound → had to convey emotions through bodies/facial expressions → actors HIGHLY EXAGGERATED their actions. Guy-Blaché wanted NATURAL behavior and encouraged it explicitly (sign reading 'Be Natural'). The blank draws the conclusion about her films' style.
Answer: C) very unusual for the period...
Why? Standard silent film acting = exaggerated. Guy-Blaché's films = natural. Since natural acting was opposite to the norm, her style was unusual for its time. C directly follows.
Traps:
- A) copied by many of Guy-Blaché's peers → passage doesn't suggest other directors followed her approach
- B) familiar to actors from other directors' films → actors from other films were used to exaggerating; natural acting would be unfamiliar
- D) better than film acting today → passage makes no comparison to modern acting standards