Edwin S. Porter's landmark film from the early days of cinema is amazingly accomplished, not to mention immensely entertaining. I was surprised at how contemporary it felt. Yes, it was filmed with one camera and much of it was done on a soundstage, but the story elements -- train robbers, exploding safes, gunned-down
bystanders, fistfights aboard the tops of moving trains, chases on horseback -- are as exciting and watchable as most action films of more recent vintage. Technically, there are well-done explosions, some color sequences, outdoor on location scenes, and the iconic ending where the cowboy shoots directly at the audience. I applaud this film and accept it as the classic it is.
NOTE: I saw this film as part of a compilation of early films from the Edison Company...yeah, THAT Edison. Other memorable ones include:
*Life of a Fireman, which was just what it sounds like -- a group of firefighters are called to a housefire. It was thrilling and even moving, as when a child is rescued from the house and is reunited with his mother outside.
*The Kleptomaniac, which may be the first film with a social message. A well-to-do woman and a woman living in poverty with small children are both arrested for stealing, from a department store and from a grocer respectively. The wealthy woman is set free, while the poor woman is found guilty and incarcerated. The ending shot is the Scales of Justice out of balance due to a bag of money in one of the trays.
* Two films -- The Kiss and What Happened on 23rd Street -- show that even early in the days of cinema (we're talking circa 1900), naughtiness put asses in the seats. The Kiss was notorious in its day. It's a simple peck between two rather plain people, but it caused a furor because it was considered vulgar. What Happened on 23rd Street starts off as a simple street scene that climaxes with *SPOILER ALERT* a young woman's skirt being blown up by the wind from a subway (?) grate. The more things change the more they stay the same.
February 18, 2010
