Intertitres

Intertitres, or intertitles, are text panels inserted into films between shots to convey dialogue, exposition, or narration when synchronized sound is not available or desired. In film studies, the term intertitle comes from the French intertitre, with the plural intertitres commonly used in English-language scholarship.

There are two main types of intertitles. Dialogue intertitles reproduce spoken lines, sometimes with character names, while expository or summarizing intertitles provide background information, time shifts, or plot summaries. Some intertitles combine dialogue with narration, and designers often incorporated illustrations, decorative borders, and typography to fit the film’s style.

Production and design of intertitles involved careful typography and artwork. Intertitles were typically printed on cards and photographed into the film between scenes, or painted directly onto frames. Title designers and art directors worked to ensure legibility and aesthetic harmony with the moving images, influencing pacing and mood.

Historically, intertitles dominated during the silent era, roughly from the late 19th century through the 1920s, enabling silent films to cross language barriers in international markets. They also facilitated complex storytelling and experimental forms. With the advent of synchronized sound, the use of intertitles declined, though subtitles and captions later evolved to serve multilingual and accessibility needs in sound films.

In contemporary cinema, intertitles appear mainly as stylistic devices in certain independent, experimental, or homage works, and can be used to evoke silent-era aesthetics or emphasize narrative breaks. They remain a notable feature of the silent-film legacy and a reference point for cinematic typography and design.