In 1895, Thomas Edison produced an 18-second historical movie called The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots that lives on in cinema history for its special effects: it depicted nothing other than Mary's beheading. Why make the film any longer? All anyone needed to see was the rolling head, not the back story. This, in essence, is the story of the early days of cinema, when producers believed their first duty was to amaze audiences with images of experiences they could never have had: how else to account for the 1900 short How It Feels To Be Run Over, which shows a car driving at a fixed camera. The very purpose of these films was to shock people, to provide a jolt of adrenalin greater than anything everyday life could bring; plot, art and acting were secondary. Ever since, the "wow factor" has been the one thing that sets the movies apart...
- 11/19/2009
- The Guardian - Film News
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