L' Arrivée d'un train à La Ciotat (1895)

Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat shows a steam train arriving at a station and moving towards the camera.
It has passed into film folklore for the incident that occurred at its world premiere, when the audience, unfamiliar with the cinema thought the train was really coming right at them and panicked!

This short film is generally considered to be the "first motion picture" in modern history because the illusion of reality was achieved without much difficulty and the dramatic resources of depth of field are exploited. The train thrusts itself towards the camera creating a dynamic close-up.
The development of mass spectatorship was the main factor in the growing popularity of film. This not only allowed for the development of a profitable business but also moved the centre of attention from the artistic value of the film as conceived by the director to the need to fulfil the spectator's expectations.
You can buy The Lumiere Brothers' First Films.

No comments: