For a series of films made in 1896 this is pretty much ahead of its time. Think about it, cinema was less than twelve months old, Porter's Great Train Robbery - generally (if probably inaccurately) considered the first narrative film - was still seven years in the future, and yet here's a doughty old chap named Joseph Jefferson indulging in a few exaggerated gestures as he takes on the role of Rip van Winkle (a role I believe he was famous for playing on stage). By today's standards the film is amateurish, but for its day it's first class. You have to laugh at their interpretation of a dwarf though - a normal sized man crouching as he waddles around with a barrel on his shoulder. Definitely worth a look if you're interested in cinema's infancy.
Review of Rip Van Winkle
