Le Voyage à travers l’Impossible (The Impossible Voyage)

     Another great work by Georges Méliès. Running at 25 minutes, it’s about 5 minutes longer than the average film at the time and I think it really stands out among any other film made at the time including Méliès’ other films. 

    “The Impossible Voyage” tells the story of a geographic society that decides to an epic voyage around the world. A submarine, an automobile, and a large railway box car filled with ice and carried by balloon are in the plans to make the trip to the the sun in deep space and the depths of the ocean. One of my favorite scenes are the shots of the preperations of the vehicles. The sets made up of gadgets and mechanisms working together to make a science-fiction/ futuristic atmosphere are like no other special effects from the era.

    In my opinion, this film is full of the greatest scenes in early cinema. My favorites are the ascent into the sun and the train, carried by balloon, is swallowed by the sun. The voyagers then drop off the sun and descend into the depths of the ocen. The cutaway scenes of the inside of the train and the submarine are very creative.

   I feel like i’m inside of a science-fiction comic book watching this flick. I highly suggest you check out the video.

Also, if you haven’t seen Martin Scorsese’s newest film “Hugo” (2011) I suggest you see it. It’s based on Georges Méliès and it’s really neat!

La vie et la passion de jésus christ

AKA Passion and Death of Christ, The Passion Play, The Life and Passion of Christ

  Vie et Passion du Christ could be considered the first feature film, running 44 minutes long, but most film historians disqualify it because it was made in seperate parts giving the exhibitor the choice to show the film in pieces. This film is considered one of the first colorized film narritives. Colorization was achieved using the Pathecolor/Pathechrome stencil-based film tinting process invented in 1903 by Pathe Freres, a very innovative and important film companies in history. 

Vie et Passion du Christ is a very important film in the depiction of the story of Jesus Christ and the inclusion of some events usually not described in films about Christ, such as the Transfiguration of Jesus. 

The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ is a must see amongst antique cinema and an important landmark in silent films.

Electrocuding an Elephant (1903) Thomas Edison

*WARNING* Not for the faint of heart   Disturbing footage of animal abuse

Topsy the Elephant, of the Forepaugh Circus was deemed a threat by her owners and sentenced to death by electrocution in Coney Island, New York January 4, 1903. It was first suggested to hang  ol’ Topsy but Thomas Edison saw this event as an opportunity in his campaign to discourage people from using George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla’s AC (alternating current) as an electrical power over his own method, DC (direct current). He was showing that AC electrical source was dangerous and his own invention was a safer choice.  AC had been used since 1890 in the execution of humans, so its not really surprising. Topsy was down in second. Edison filmed the event and there were 1,500 people witnessed the murder of Topsy the elephant.

I’m not doing this to say it’s right or wrong. But I was surprised (guess I really shouldn’t have been) that one of the most prolific inventors and entrepreneur in American history did this sort of thing to Topsy. She had killed three people, who’s to say under what circumstances, and the suggestion of electrocution over hanging was a better, less cruel decision. Nevertheless, it happened and the scatter-brained businessman caught the execution on film. This is the first killing of an animal on film.

I suppose this is important to the progression of film in the sense of research and documentation. It was surprising knowledge to me and I thought I should share it.

Not to worry! You reap what you sew. Coney Island’s Luna Park suffered three horrible fires from 1944 to ’46 The demise of Coney Island’s Luna Park is considered “Topsy’s Revenge”. The park was re-opened in May of 2010. Beware of Topsy’s ghost!

The Great Train Robbery (1903) Directed by Edwin S. Porter

Nickelodeon: a movie theatre with an admission fee of one nickel.

Cross-cut editing: an instance of alternating between two or more sequences when editing

       Edwin S. Porter was a pioneer in early cinema. He made early comedies and trick films for Thomas Edison’s company, Edison Manufacturing Company. Porter made a name for himself with his innovative editing techniques in Jack and the Beanstalk (1902) and Life of an American Fireman (1903). But the pinnacle of his career was his western, The Great Train Robbery.

         The Great Train Robbery is a milestone in film history. The 11 minute long film depicts a gang of outlaws robbing a train and the passengers then fleeting. It was a groundbreaking film with the director’s use of cross-cutting editing technique to show action happening in different places simultaneously. It was also the formation of cinematic narration in the United States. No film before this had such a variety in scenes or as swift from scene to scene. Porter invented dissolves from one scene to another in this film for the first time. Edwin Porter made an entirely new experience for the audience using creative camera movement and on location shooting. There are also scenes throughout that have color; several explosions, pretty girls in bright yellow dresses, epic gunfights with colored gun smoke. The end of the film is the leader of the gang of outlaws raising his revolver and pointing it directly at the camera and emptying the barrel.

         No film had been made like The Great Train Robbery before. It was very popular and caused sensationalism among viewers, establishing the motion picture as commercial entertainment in the U.S Two years later it was used as the premier film in the very first nickelodeon. Today’s cinema wouldn’t be the same today without this historical, sensational little gem. It’s a PRETTY DAMN GOOD film.

A.K.A. Capital Execution, Barnemordersken, Child Murderess

     Henrettelsen is based on a true story of the execution of a French woman who is sentenced to death for killing her two children. Though part of the film has been lost, little of what is left is still a very important part of early cinema. The early stages of plot progression and reference to things happening off screen make this antique film a stepping-stone in movies to come. The director, Peter Elfelt was the pioneer of Danish cinema making over 200 films in the early 20^th Century. He was the only filmmaker in the first decade of Danish film actually making movies. Henrettelsen was the first Danish drama, and a major influence in those early days, widening the scope and development of the story beyond what was captured by the camera. This effect intensified the drama. Very original and important to the history of film.

I couldn’t find a full version of the film on the web

Alice in Wonderland (1903) Directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow