The Great Train Robbery

Over the years we’ve witnessed so many great films being remade. No genre seems to be safe, from the horror classics like Halloween and Psycho to even westerns such as True Grit. Yet the phenomenon of remakes isn’t really such a new thing.

Since the birth of film well over 100 years ago, stories have been told and retold countless times and one of the first films to ever be remade was The Great Train Robbery in 1904. The original, made a year earlier in 1903 was directed by Edwin S. Porter from a screenplay he wrote based on an 1896 story by Scott Marble.

At only 12 minutes long, which at that time was quite epic, The Great Train Robbery was the first western and among the first films to follow a narrative. In contrast with earlier films like the Lumière Brothers’ L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat (1895), which simply showed a train arriving at a station, Porter’s film set a milestone in filmmaking not just by weaving a story into what was being shown but also by his use of techniques including cross cutting, double exposure composite editing and on location shooting.

Opening with a title card it then cuts to the interior of a railroad telegraph office where we see two masked robbers burst in and order the operator at gunpoint to stop the approaching train. Once he’s done this they promptly knock him unconscious, bind his hands and feet and then leave. After sneaking onto the train, the robbers engage in a gun fight with a messenger and then blow up a safe. Stealing the money from the safe isn’t enough though; when the train comes to a stop they force the passengers out at gunpoint. With their hands held in the air, the robbers remove any valuables they have on them.

Next is their escape, and as they make their way to the mountains the operator they left bound on the floor finally comes to with the help of his little daughter. He manages to get word out about the robbery and before long an entire posse is on the way to find the robbers for a thrilling showdown.

Yet what shocked and thrilled most of all was the final scene – where George Barnes, who plays the leader of the robbers, faces the audience, pulls out his gun and fires directly at the camera.

The Great Train Robbery became such a hit that Siegmund Lubin wanted to make his own version where he thought the story would be told better. Unfortunately his version did not have the impact he hoped for. Great Train Robbery (1904), as a result, is often considered a work of plagiarism by the Lubin Film Company. The original continues to inspire and amaze filmmakers today, as Philip C. Dimare notes:

With its story inspired by the real-life robberies of the four-man “Hole in the Wall” gang headed by George Leroy Parker aka Butch Cassidy, The Great Train Robbery is truly a film that stood out when it was made and has since then stood the test of time. While stories are told and retold time and time again I always like to remember that that’s why they exist in the first place, but the challenge in re-telling a story is adding something of yourself to it, which Lubin didn’t do.

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

EARLY CINEMA

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