This is one of the Lumière brothers' many actualitiés (actuality films), which other filmmakers were quick to emulate and which is a precursor to the full documentary. The Lumière brothers made it shortly after their original program débuted. It displays one of the more salient instances of positioning of the camera--the framing--of the early single-shot films. Most often, as one can see in the Lumière film "Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory" (1895), the framing in a film is perpendicular to the action. This was always the case with the Edison Company films trapped within the "Black Maria" studio. The lightweight and mobile Cinématographe, however, not only allowed the Lumière brothers to invent the actuality film, but also to introduce novel ways of framing and presenting action in and out of frame.
In this actuality film, "The Arrival of the Train", the train approaches the station and just passes the camera while slowing down--creating a diagonal framing and recognition of off-screen space as the locomotive passes out of frame. Additionally, the subject appears to be undirected (as opposed to many other early actuality films), and many of the people filmed ignore the camera. Some do notice it, however, reversing the subject of the film back upon itself as is so often the case in these early actualitiés.
This framing of action must have been quite a marvel when first seen. Although the apocryphal story of it creating terror among early audiences has been a matter of recent debunking, it was a legend created early on. In 1901, Robert W. Paul parodied such a reaction in "The Countryman and the Cinematograph", as did Edwin S. Porter in his 1902 remake "Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show". Moreover, accounts of physical reactions (although not screaming and running to the back of the theatre) to early films are numerous, such as spectators supposedly fearing their feet might become wet while watching Paul's "Rough Sea at Dover" (1895). It seems more likely that the response to these films was more akin to modern audiences' response to shocking scenes in horror films, with the added marvel of witnessing the invention of a new visual art form.
Another historically interesting aspect of this film is that it features a train as its subject, which would become very popular in early cinema. They, too, were a technological marvel, as well as a source of movement and action. Film historians have also mentioned how looking out a train window provides moving pictures associative to cinema. Shortly after this film, the phantom ride genre would include the camera attached to the locomotive to create a point-of-view perspective from the locomotive as it passed through landscapes and tunnels. George Albert Smith created one of the first multi-shot films "A Kiss in the Tunnel" (1899) by placing a staged scene within a phantom ride film. It's interesting how trains have inspired advancements in movies.
Additionally, in my screening of early silent films, I've noticed many allusions to the Lumière films. Their decisions on such matters as framing became part of film grammar and style. The diagonal framing of a train here has especially become a staple. For example, William K.L. Dickson, for American Mutoscope, imitated it in his "Empire State Express" (1896), but movies made much later have demonstrated this early film's influence. Although most movies afterwards last much longer than 50 seconds and one shot, few have left as great an impression.
(Note: This is the seventh in a series of my comments on 10 "firsts" in film history. The other films covered are Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (1888), Blacksmith Scene (1893), The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895), La Sortie des usines Lumière (1895), L' Arroseur arose (1895), Panorama du Grand Canal vu d'un bateau (1896), Return of Lifeboat (1897) and Panorama of Eiffel Tower (1900).)
In this actuality film, "The Arrival of the Train", the train approaches the station and just passes the camera while slowing down--creating a diagonal framing and recognition of off-screen space as the locomotive passes out of frame. Additionally, the subject appears to be undirected (as opposed to many other early actuality films), and many of the people filmed ignore the camera. Some do notice it, however, reversing the subject of the film back upon itself as is so often the case in these early actualitiés.
This framing of action must have been quite a marvel when first seen. Although the apocryphal story of it creating terror among early audiences has been a matter of recent debunking, it was a legend created early on. In 1901, Robert W. Paul parodied such a reaction in "The Countryman and the Cinematograph", as did Edwin S. Porter in his 1902 remake "Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show". Moreover, accounts of physical reactions (although not screaming and running to the back of the theatre) to early films are numerous, such as spectators supposedly fearing their feet might become wet while watching Paul's "Rough Sea at Dover" (1895). It seems more likely that the response to these films was more akin to modern audiences' response to shocking scenes in horror films, with the added marvel of witnessing the invention of a new visual art form.
Another historically interesting aspect of this film is that it features a train as its subject, which would become very popular in early cinema. They, too, were a technological marvel, as well as a source of movement and action. Film historians have also mentioned how looking out a train window provides moving pictures associative to cinema. Shortly after this film, the phantom ride genre would include the camera attached to the locomotive to create a point-of-view perspective from the locomotive as it passed through landscapes and tunnels. George Albert Smith created one of the first multi-shot films "A Kiss in the Tunnel" (1899) by placing a staged scene within a phantom ride film. It's interesting how trains have inspired advancements in movies.
Additionally, in my screening of early silent films, I've noticed many allusions to the Lumière films. Their decisions on such matters as framing became part of film grammar and style. The diagonal framing of a train here has especially become a staple. For example, William K.L. Dickson, for American Mutoscope, imitated it in his "Empire State Express" (1896), but movies made much later have demonstrated this early film's influence. Although most movies afterwards last much longer than 50 seconds and one shot, few have left as great an impression.
(Note: This is the seventh in a series of my comments on 10 "firsts" in film history. The other films covered are Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (1888), Blacksmith Scene (1893), The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895), La Sortie des usines Lumière (1895), L' Arroseur arose (1895), Panorama du Grand Canal vu d'un bateau (1896), Return of Lifeboat (1897) and Panorama of Eiffel Tower (1900).)