The Countryman's First Sight of the Animated Pictures

I watched this film on a DVD that was rammed with short films from the period. I didn't watch all of them as the main problem with these type of things that their value is more in their historical novelty value rather than entertainment. So to watch them you do need to be put in the correct context so that you can keep this in mind and not watch it with modern eyes. With the Primitives & Pioneers DVD collection though you get nothing to help you out, literally the films are played one after the other (the main menu option is "play all") for several hours. With this it is hard to understand their relevance and as an educational tool it falls down as it leaves the viewer to fend for themselves, which I'm sure is fine for some viewers but certainly not the majority. What it means is that the DVD saves you searching the web for the films individually by putting them all in one place – but that's about it.

Clearly there is a lot that has been lost from this short film and, from what is available, it is a shame. We open at the very end of the establishing shot in which I believe the "countryman" has climbed up next to the screen to dance next to the maiden he can see dancing – seemingly unaware that she is only an image and not real. His fun time comes to an abrupt end when a train rushes towards him making him flee. His confusion is made greater by the sight of himself on the screen and here we end. It is a simple joke but it is an important part of the development of the media that it becomes self-referential and topical. Today we are shocked when a film does not reference something else at least once every five minutes but to see this done over a century ago (and at the birth of the technology) is all the more impressive.

Shame that it feels like it has been cut into pieces by the loss of the early stages because this is an engaging smart and clever little film that references other films in the media and challenges the audience at the same time.