Niagara Falls

Starring: N/A
Directed by: N/A
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Documentary
Length: 37 seconds
1897

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: A view of Niagara Falls and onlookers viewing the spectacle.

Review:

Tim: For audiences in the late 1890s, Niagara Falls must have been quite a sight, especially for those who would never get to visit the natural wonder. The film is obviously short, the standard one-shot film we've come to expect from the Lumieres. The film shows the falls, as well as several people viewing the incredible sight. They move around, point, and give the falls some perspective. What struck me most about this film is that it really showed the power of the water going over the falls. You can really feel the movement and the force of the water. That was really cool to see.

This is another film that was produced by Louis Lumiere, but there's not really any clear agreement on who the director was. In my research, it looks like Alexandre Promio may have directed it, but there's no real proof. Promio certainly served as an operator for many Lumiere films, so it is possible, but not certain.

This movie serves as a good example of an actuality film. People mostly refer to it as a documentary, but that's not exactly accurate. There's no larger argument or point, it's just briefly showing a real place and people in a real setting. The actuality film has been dead a long time (who really wants to watch one, unless it's like this, depicting the earliest days of cinema?), but it's fun to peer back into time and see people doing something that I did a hundred years later (which is view Niagara Falls).

This is an interesting little film, and for Lumiere fans, it's worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



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