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The above is a quote from director Roman Polanski, regarding the goals of cinema. The theater experience should make you feel like you are *inside* the movie, immersed in what's happening; whether it is the sound and rumble of an incoming train, the sights and feelings of an alien world, or the thrill and adrenaline of jumping from a cliff.
Released in 1902, Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show plays with that premise as we follow the titular character (Charles Manley) as he attends a "moving picture show". But as soon as the camera starts rolling, Uncle Josh forgets he's sitting in a theater as he experiences the joy of a can-can dance, the dread of an incoming train, and the jealousy towards a kissing couple which drives him to tear up the screen.
At 2 minutes, there isn't much else to it, but it is still a pretty neat slice of meta before the word was ever invented; a testament to the aspirations and goals of cinema. Maybe not to tear the screen, but hopefully to make us forget that we're sitting in a theater.
Grade: N/A
UNCLE JOSH AT THE MOVING PICTURE SHOW
(1902, Porter)
(1902, Porter)
"Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theater."
The above is a quote from director Roman Polanski, regarding the goals of cinema. The theater experience should make you feel like you are *inside* the movie, immersed in what's happening; whether it is the sound and rumble of an incoming train, the sights and feelings of an alien world, or the thrill and adrenaline of jumping from a cliff.
Released in 1902, Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show plays with that premise as we follow the titular character (Charles Manley) as he attends a "moving picture show". But as soon as the camera starts rolling, Uncle Josh forgets he's sitting in a theater as he experiences the joy of a can-can dance, the dread of an incoming train, and the jealousy towards a kissing couple which drives him to tear up the screen.
At 2 minutes, there isn't much else to it, but it is still a pretty neat slice of meta before the word was ever invented; a testament to the aspirations and goals of cinema. Maybe not to tear the screen, but hopefully to make us forget that we're sitting in a theater.
Grade: N/A