Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

2hotFeature one of my absolute favorites!

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

grantss A 50-second film by the Lumiere Brothers, one of the first films ever shown to a paying audience. A train arrives at La Ciotat station.Obviously this film is not significant for its plot, or action scenes or character depth. This is an iconic film in the history of cinema, significant because it was made. Only a handful of films had been made to that point and Auguste and Louis Lumiere, pioneers in the art and technology of film, used all their knowledge and expertise in making this film.It may not seem much today but we wouldn't have the blockbusters of today if it wasn't for people like Auguste and Louis Lumiere and films like 'The Arrival of a Train'.

ofpsmith By itself, this isn't that impressive. It's a one minute long shot of a train coming into a station. Literally the title says it all. This is going to be a train coming into the station. I could go make a remake of this right now without really trying. But look at it this way. This is the fist movie ever made. Auguste and Louis Lumiere made several other experimental films but this one is often considered to be the first actual film of all time. And for that alone it get's ten stars. Ten stars for being the first. Without it there would be no 12 Angry Men, no Citizen Kane, no Back to the Future. Without this and several other shorts, we wouldn't be here today.

tavm Among the preserved films in the "Saved from the Flames" DVD collection was this early August and Louis Lumiere clip that simply depicted a train arriving with the passengers getting off unaware they're being filmed with their faces about to be immortalized for future film archivists. According to legend, first-time audiences fled their seats (if not the theatre) thinking the train was going to come after them! While I've no doubt some truth was in that statement concerning less sophisticated viewers, I'm also sure many of them were aware it was just a moving picture projection and just sat down for some entertainment. Anyway, this 1-minute short is worth a look as historical artifact.

vovazhd Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat is an excellent example of what made a movie in 1896. A single scene, it shows a train coming at the screen and continuing through, then stopping until the passengers get off. Although the concept is basic, it must have been an incredible experience at the time. Being in the experimental stages of cinema, it has its flaws (obviously), but nonetheless succeeds in creating an image that sticks with you. I think that the camera could have been moved even closer to the train, but the effect still works as it is. Seeing how it is less than a minute long, I can't help but recommend it to anyone that has a chance to see it.