The Movies Begin, Vol. 1 - The Great Train Robbery & Other Primary Works [VHS]

The Movies Begin, Vol. 1 - The Great Train Robbery & Other Primary Works [VHS]
by Edwin S. Porter

The Movies Begin, Vol. 1 - The Great Train Robbery & Other Primary Works [VHS]

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Actor: A.C. Abadie, Donald Gallaher, Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, Justus D. Barnes, Walter Cameron
Director: Edwin S. Porter
Primary Contributor: Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson
Edition: VHS Tape
Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 75 minutes
Release Date: 2002-02-19
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Kino International
Studio: Kino International

VHS Movie Reviews of The Movies Begin, Vol. 1 - The Great Train Robbery & Other Primary Works [VHS]

Movie Review: A glimpse into a vanished world
Summary: 5 Stars

I normally do not award 5 stars ... and seldom even 4... but this is an exception!
This video provides a history of the movies from before they began (not as silly as it sounds) to about 1914. The presentation is chronological and by director/producer/studio.
The earliest example included is a "pre-movies-movie" consisting of a sequence of E. Muybridge's stills (1885) assembled into a film. The effect is very interesting, even today. When Muybridge first published his stop-action motion studies they were positively revolutionary. (It also incidentally gives a glimpse into the feminine figure of 100 years ago, and how it differs from today's ideal.)
This is followed by selected Edison Kinetoscopes (ca. 1894); of these I found the "serpentine dances" most interesting. (A dance form no longer practiced, except perhaps in Chinese opera.) Later on there appear additional vignettes. Some, such as the one of President McKinley and gold prospectors crossing over the Chilkoot Pass, have obvious historical interest.

The first actual story-telling film included is S. Porter's "The Great Train Robbery," a seminal work which set the framework for countless westerns to follow.

To me, without question, the three best works on this tape are: 1) George Melies's "Le Voyage dans la Lune" (Voyage to the Moon) of 1902; 2) "Moscow in the Snow" (1908); and 3) S. Chomon's "Le Scarabee d'Or" (Golden Beetle) of 1907. I will cover these in reverse order.

The "Golden Beetle" is a fantasy piece, with similarities to Rimsky-Korsakov's fairytale operas - except of course there is no singing, and it is only 2 minutes long. Synopsis: A sorcerer captures a golden beetle and by means of a magic fire cauldron turns it into a woman. Or perhaps she is a fairy, as she has three pairs of wings. From his unbounded glee, we suspect the sorcerer's intentions are not quite honorable. The fairy however, turns out to be more than the sorcerer had bargained for. My means of two assistants (whose miraculous appearance is not explained) she throws the sorcerer into the fire cauldron, whence he disappears. The moral? Perhaps it is similar to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (remember Mickey and the brooms): don't mess with powerful things you don't fully understand. Segundo de Chomon worked closely with Melies, and was heavily influenced by him. Chomon's specialty was early experiments in color film, of which "Golden Beetle" is a good example. The coloring process involved hand coloring of individual frames, and obviously was very labor intensive. Chomon also experimented with more automated color techniques.
"Moscow in the Snow" is a P?t? film providing panoramic shots of Moscow, as well as vignettes of the inhabitants, during a sunny winter day. The film was shot in 1908, or about nine years before revolution would change Russia forever. In short, the movie gives a glimpse into a world that was - but no longer exists. In that sense there is connection with science fiction. There is a musical score accompanying this movie. It is Borodin's "In the Steppes of Central Asia." The choice is perfect: the beautiful haunting music increases the sense of nostalgia for a world which is about to disappear.
For me the piece de resistance of this collection is George Melies's "Le Voyage dans la Lune" (Voyage to the Moon) of 1902. This single work by itself makes the collection worthwhile. This work has great historical interest as the first science fiction film produced. But the genre is peculiar: it is slap-stick science fiction - a form occasionally still used, such as in "Mars Attacks."
Besides slap-stack, the film is best described as an amalgam of J. Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon" and H. G. Wells's "First Men in the Moon." The first part of the movie roughly follows Verne's novel in that a group of scientists use a giant canon to travel to the moon. The second part roughly follows Wells, in that the moon travelers discover a civilization of intelligent beings living under the surface of the moon. The travelers manage to get home safely among great rejoicing. (Not made clear is the fate of the expedition leader and the single "sellenite" who manages to cling to the capsule.)
Why did Melies turn to slap-stick? Probably because he thought the audience of 1902 was not yet ready for a more scientific approach. This had to await "Die Frau im Mond" of 1929 and "Destination Moon" of 1950.
The science in this movie is best described as "absolutely pathetic" (though possibly intentionally so). The movie would be good training for school children assigned to "find all the mistakes." Two egregious examples: 1) the travelers have absolutely no problem breathing on the lunar surface; and 2) to return to Earth they simply fall off the edge of the Moon (ouch!).
Many viewers are familiar with at least one scene from this movie: the space capsule hitting the man-in-the-moon smack in the eye. This sequence has been excerpted many times - though most people may not know its origin. A second, almost as famous, sequence is the chorus line of beauties giving the travelers a spectacular send-off. (Should NASA consider such a format for its launches?)

Movie Review: GOOD EARLY MOVIE SHOTS
Summary: 5 Stars

IF YOU ARE INTO EARLY MOVIE SHOTS THIS IS A MUST BUY. I BOUGHT IT JUST FOR THE TRAIN ROBBERY FOR ONE OF THE OUTLAWS IN THE MOVIE SHOT WAS ONE OF THE OUTLAWS WHO HELPED ROB THE TRAIN YEARS BEFORE.

Movie Review: Greed will get you
Summary: 5 Stars

The Great Train Robbery of 1903 was a superb film. The main actor was Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy'Anderson with a stunning 12 minute performance under the direction of Edwin S. Porter. This film was the first western made, the silence of the movie is what brings the appeal of this classic.
The inventions of many were used in this film, noteably Thomas Edison's Kinescope. The lighting in this film also helped dramatize alot of the scenes. It may not have been intentional, but you could tell by the lighting what emotion to prepare for. The silence of the movie really added to the appeal. The words could be made up in your own thoughts. This could make the film even more exciting by interpreting your own plot structure.
The other interesting fact is that the man shooting at the camera at the end of the film could have been shown at the beginning if the audience wished.
The story itself was a learned one. The robbers got the money from the train and ran from their enemies. While being chased they stop to count the money. The theives are greedy and get caught in the process. It was a very believable film and a lesson learned about greed.

Movie Review: If I were to review these movies when they came out...
Summary: 5 Stars

A seminal work. Amazing. While the Lumier brothers have brought us many interesting moving pictures of a minute or so in length, of people going about their lives, here for the first time in 1902 is an actual story. Georges M?li?s presents his own work, based in part on the "scientific romance" greats H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, showing a group of astronomers as they travel to the moon. The entire show puts one on the edge of their seat, filled with suspense, drama, and humor. In the beginning the astronomers gather to decide to go to the moon, and inspect the plant where the projectile is being made. Naturally the most reasonable way to slip the bounds of Mother Earth would be by a much larger, and therefore much more powerful, gun. And who else but astronomers would know how to handle such a journey? M?li?s does some amazing work with effects that can only be described as special, as we see the way the projectile is made, and later an amazing moonscape. But mothers beware- the women who see the astronomers off show quite a bit of leg!

M?li?s shows amazing foresight in his understanding of what the moon is like, and what it's inhabitants must be. It naturally snows there, as it is much colder, being farther from the earth, and receiving less sun. And it is only reasonable that the inhabitants of the moon would disappear at the slightest touch, as we all know that the moon is smaller than the earth, and therefore has less gravity, and therefore all creatures upon it would be more fragile. And though the crashing of the projectile into the face of the moon is obviously humorous, I predict that it will be a scene oft-remembered in the decades to come. The manner in which the earthrise is portrayed is ingenious, lowering the various backdrops to create an optical illusion. Indeed, the whole moonscape is something other-worldly, and the motion picture worth seeing for this reason alone.

In the end they escape the only way they can, and sadly must leave one of their members behind. But by adding his weight to the projectile, they are able to tilt it enough so that it falls off the moon and back to earth. Which is an added treat for us, as we get to see another amazing world within the ocean below! I must say that science fiction seems to be particularly well suited to this new medium, and most new motion pictures should be of this genre.

And then I watched Edwin Porter's The Great Train Robbery. And my reality has changed. 1903 has arrived and I see a Brave New World. These motion pictures have become features in their own right- and I can only predict that they will continue to increase both the depth and length of the stories. Porter bases his film on an actual robbery that occurred only a few years ago, with Butch Cassidy's Hole in the Wall gang. For the first time we are seeing some amazing work with the camera and the person directing this entire enterprise. Some scenes are actually shot out of sequence! The camera at times moves around to get a 180 degree view. And- if you can believe this- color! Not all the way through, but here and there, a splash of color painted in. This may be the beginning of a great new era in motion pictures- we may one day see entire pictures painted. There is a great dancing to gun fire scene at one point in the story. And some amazing effects which are special- a man thrown off a moving railcar- going at the tremulous speed of 40 mph! (Porter had the foresight to use a dummy at this point.) Two scenes are displayed at the same time, as we see a moving train through the window. And lest I forget, many of these scenes are not shot on a stage, but outside, in real life, at different locations.

But the best is at the end, so for those who don't want it spoiled, I suggest you stop reading now. For the gunfighter who appears at the end points his gun at we, the audience, and shoots! I must say, my heart stopped, for I was in the front row, and for a quick moment, I believed myself dead. Who wouldn't, when you see someone come up in front of you and shoot a gun at point-blank range? This motion picture may be too unnerving for many, and I don't know if I could handle seeing the final scene again, but it is by far the best I have ever seen.

There are numerous other short vignettes on this video, and some shots of President McKinley walking with an aide.

Movie Review: This is a gem of early filmmaking!
Summary: 5 Stars

This video was loaded with shocking and relevant material made at the end of the 19th Century! The Lumiere Brothers, Thomas Edison, Billy Whiskers, they are all here and in a new Kino edition packaging. I recommend them most to film students, but Edwin S. Porter's "The Great Train Robbery" is entertaining. Not rated, this tape has nudity and violence (but it is a must have).

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