It may take you longer to say the full name; “L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat” (translated to: “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station”), than it does to watch.
The fifty-second French short silent documentary was released January 25, 1896, making it one of the oldest movies ever created. French filmmakers Auguste and Louis Lumière are perfect examples of early artists. The brothers’ Lumière are pioneers to the craft of film-making, and their use of a single all-in-one camera, that serves as printer and film projector, proves that great art doesn’t necessarily require a billion dollar budget.
It goes without saying that a traditional review would be preposterous at best. “Arrival” is a silent film that’s less than a minute long. There is no dialogue or even placards indicating speech as such. There isn’t a story or a damsel in distress. No superheroes or angry T-Rexes. It’s simply a glimpse of everyday life; one continuous real-time shot as a steam locomotive arrives at the Gare de La Ciotat train station in the picturesque town of La Ciotat in southeastern France.
“L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat,” circa 1896.
We see an awesome sight in the context of history. Preserved footage of regular people, casually walking around, some looking at or even mugging for the camera. We don’t know anything about these people, other than that they were the same as us. They had dreams. Jobs. Passions. And thanks to the bohemian Lumière brothers, we are able to view them now, 122 years later.
“L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat” may best be known for its urban legend that claims audiences watching fled the theater in terror at the sight of the oncoming train. Various debates have raged as to whether or not this actually happened or with the fervor as is often stated, but I like to believe that it did.
People in 1896 had never witnessed such a thing on screen and the visuals were doubtless awesome, if not completely terrifying. Imagine showing the same audiences from 1896 a modern day blockbuster like “Skyscraper.” I think the site of a muscle-bursting Dwayne Johnson might cause the stampede to the exits. I wonder if the brothers had any idea what movies would eventually evolve into.
I urge film fans to check it out. Its a great look at the evolution of film and mankind in general. Next time you sink down in your air conditioned seat in the theater, munching on popcorn, give a proper nod of respect to the Lumière brothers. Every exciting big screen story of today has a genesis steeped in a simple beginning.
You can watch the film below:
