“The Great Train Robbery”(1903), is about, as the title suggests a train robbery. I suppose it could have been a “great train” but I wouldn’t know the difference in a great train and just a mediocre one. The basic premise is: four men secretly board a train, rob what appears to be a money box while killing the money box protector, then try to get away on horseback. They are found while dancing in a saloon (?), a chase is on and they are all killed by who are supposed to be the “good guys.” (?)
•Your review should aim to answer the question: How does this film help us appreciate the art of filmmaking?
Well, for starters, I actually didn’t mind and even appreciated not having sound in the movie. It forced me to be more in tune with the entire frame - all four corners, all four sides, kind of like looking at a photograph. So not having sound isn’t a deal breaker for me personally but the shakiness and clumsy jump cuts were very distracting. I get kind of carsick and when the camera is not stationary it makes me feel kinda queasy. I certainly appreciate not only the quality of the cameras these days but the attention to a more fluid or smooth flow of imagery from scene to scene of course but also within a single scene itself. Did you ever see “The Blair Witch Project”? Hurl. A lot of it.
•Your review should also aim to answer the question: How does this film help us appreciate the art of framing and camera angles, which we learned about in class this week?
All of these camera angles were straight on. Not much creative efforts in raising or lowering the point of view of the camera. No panning, no zooming (of course) and the only way you can say a dolly was used was when the camera was put on the top of the train as the train was moving. But even then the view was straight forward on the action (bad guys subduing the train drivers). So in a way, it was creative because every bit of design in terms of the production, acting, propping and actors’ movements had to be considered within that single frame. If you take say the money box scene on the train and compare it to the shoot out at the end in the woods, you can see that the framing has not changed but the depth of the scene has. The director then has more physical space to play with so the “good guys” can enter the frame from the top right and come down the hill toward the camera as they begin the shoot out. It’s a creative use of space and frame and maybe we can make a comparison to how a cinematographer today would use a wider angle lens to cover either or both of those scenes.
•The film is silent. How did that go for you?
Again, not a deal breaker. There is a lot of noise in the world and while I don’t always enjoy sitting in silence with my own thoughts these days doing so while watching an old timey (great?) train robbery is not so bad. I’ve seen worse.
•In general, what was your experience of watching it? Just give some honest thoughts here, no wrong answer. Be yourself and express what it felt like to watch and whether or not you enjoyed it.
I did enjoy it. The time between the opening of a scene and the beginning of the action in that scene was long at different points. For instance, when the four robbers arrive at the (great?) filling tower they stand/move around pretty much doing nothing for a good 30 seconds. That could have been shorter or filled with more explanation via their actions. There are other parts too that feel just too long with nothing going on. Also again, the abrupt cuts and shakiness were rough. I didn’t throw up but if I were in the car I’d definitely have to roll the windows down.
•How many out of 5 stars would you give the movie, and why? This is a review after all!
All things considered, especially regarding the time this was made, it’s a solid 4.5 stars. The title presents the plot well, the plot moves on a bit from the robbing of the great train to the hunting and killing of the robbers (seems severe but thus were the times I suppose). Acting was good, believable but the beating of the first train driver seemed excessive and the prop body that the robber throws overboard was comically fake. Graphic and intense violence, but no harsh language. Trigger warnings for people with fear of guns, horses and trains. And shaky cameras. Probably rated PG.