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Title:The Great Train Robbery


Date: 1903
Type: Western / Crime
Rating: 4 Stars 4/5
Colour: Black and White / Silent
Director: Edwin Porter
Producer:

Comment
A group of bandits force a train to stop, rob the passengers and then escape into the forrest where they are tracked down by the towns people. This is regarded as the first American film with a narrative story, though European film makers had already made narrative films. Despite being only 12 minutes long it contains much of what would become the staple of western films, or at least the action parts. It is notable for the editing, where the actor is replaced by a dummy and thrown off the train and also for the famous final scene where one of the men shoots his revolver directly at the audience. It also has parallel editing/cross cutting where different parts of the story hapening at the same time are alternated.

Actors

Justus D Barnes
Gilbert M Brocho
Billy Anderson

Oscars

None
Production

Edison