Panorama from Top of a Moving Train

director: Georges Méliès

original title: Panorama pris d'un train en marche

country: France

year: 1898

running time: 1 min.

synopsis

This highly acclaimed film is proof that Georges Méliès did indeed also shoot outdoors and is a rather pioneering work for its time. The camera is placed on the top of a moving train, capturing the passing landscape and “ducking” under bridges as we witness one of the first journeys on film, although the camera itself doesn’t move. Interestingly, this film is also listed in the Star Film catalogue as a newsreel.

biography

Georges Méliès (1861-1938) is one of the first independent film directors whose work crystalised the early film genres. He worked on fantasy scenes, adaptations of literary works, fairy tales, as well as socio-critical and political films. His documentary filmmaking is less well known, as a lot of it has not been preserved.

more about film

director:

Georges Méliès

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