“The Arrival of a Train”- the first movie

“The Arrival of a Train” was the first movie produced and directed by Lumiere Brothers. This is one of the most important inventions in the Modern period. No films were produced before 20th century. Its original French title is “L’arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat”. Its first public showing took place in January 1896.

The film was produced in “The Silent Era” which lasted from 1890-1927. The films produced during this era had no synchronized recorded sound. One of the important personalities belonging to this era is Charlie Chaplin.

The film shows a station in the French coastal town of La Ciotat where a train comes running forward. We also find passengers in the station. The duration of the film is 50 second.

When the film was showcased for the first time the audiences were so excited that by seeing the train running towards them that they ran in panic and horror. To see a film and also a train was rather a lifetime experience for them. As mentioned earlier, they were no familiar with it. The film portrays the skillfulness of Lumiere Brothers in cinematographic technique.