THE EARLY CINEMA OF EDWIN S. PORTER.

In any case, The Great Train Robbery (1903) was in decent shape and contained both a close-up and a variety
of camera movements (not only a shot that combined panning and tilting but a tracing shot with the camera mounted
on a moving train)!
"o be sure we agree that the #pre-$riffith% period #possessed a different conception of space, time and narrative form
from the way in which these issues were approached in the later classical cinema% ($unning 1991, &)! 'ut as "om
then elaborates,%I maintain that early cinema did not see its main tas as the presentation of narratives!"his does
not mean that there were not early films that told stories, but that this tas was secondary, at least until about 190(!
"he transformation that occurred in films around 190) derives from reorienting film style to a clear focus on the tas
of storytelling and characteri*ation! In this wor I will describe a move from what
I call a #cinema of attractions,% which was more interested in the display of curiosities, to a cinema of narrative
integration which subordinates film form to the development of stories and characters! It is this move to a cinema of
narrative integration that $riffith+s first films e,emplify!
-orter a fost unul din oamenii cheie care au avut control atat asupra productiei, cat si asupra postproductiei, facand
posibila integrarea unei povesti in film!. "he application of "om+s term #narrative integration% can be useful, but I
would assert that -orter was one of the ey innovators who assumed control of both production and postproduction
in a way that made narrative integration possible/
If $eorges 01li2s was the first to #push the cinema toward the theatrical way,% as he claimed, then 3dwin 4! -orter
was the first to push the cinema toward the cinematic way!
5ecunoscut asta*i ca parintele filmului narativ6 -orter!3l a descoperit ca arta miscarii depinde de continuitatea
imaginilor, nu de imaginile active in sine!3ra nesatisfacut de artificialitatea mi*anscenei lui 0elies! 7 fost cel care a
facut si primul monta8! 9:iata unui pompier american ; a fost primul film in care s-au aplicat principiile
monta8ului!-orter a fost acu*at de $eorges 4adoul ca a plagiat filmul lui $eorge 7lbert 4mith, <ire( 1901)
-orter si-a inceput cariera ca si proiectionist!4-a anga8at la filma 3dison ca si ; moving picture photographer 9!
Edisons new employee began to turn out shortfilms; one of the first, Kansas City Saloon Smashers (1901), was the
occasion for a rare publicity still.
he finish of bridged !c"een# filmul in care a folosit dissol$uri.Era considerata eleganta si era o tehnica in$entata pe la
%umatatea secolului 19.( $e&i si !eliess 'inderella.)
(rimele ) filme la Edison: Kansas City Saloon Smashers, The finish of Bridged McKeen, Terrible Teddy, the
Grizzly King.
*ll three of these early (orter+Edison films share many of the same characteristics. he first shots are self contained
and constructed li,e one#shotfilms of the period; the only significant difference is the addition of a tag, a short fragment which
could not stand alone as an independent entity. he films lac, phenomenological continuity from one shot to the ne-t. heir
space and time relationships are indeterminate,in$ol$ing indefinite abridgments. (orter had not begun to de$elop or utili&e the
spatial and temporal articulations fundamental to most narrati$e cinema. 'ontinuity is restricted to a narrati$e le$el consistent
with a ,ind of theatrical representation yet often dependent on a showmans narration.
*lte filme. *ppointment by telephone,he e-ecution of '&olgos&,/ac, and the beanstal,,
0#a influentat filmul lui !elies, 1 * trip to the moon2. * adoptat si el naratiunea spusa din doua puncte de $edere diferite. *cest
lucru accentua continuitatea naratiunii si a%uta oamenii sa inteleaga mai bine spatiul si constructia temporala.
3iata unui pompier american ( 190))
#(rimul cadru este independent de restul filmului din punct de $edere spatial si temporal.
#*l doilea cadru consta intr#un plan detaliu.(orter a mai folosit si inainte (4( 5urles6ue 7uicide), dar aici a fost prima data cand
a integrat (4 intr#o structura narati$a mai comple-a.
#8ntre 9 si ) este pre&enta o mica reluare temporala. 7unt aratati pompierii in pat si apoi sunt tre&iti brusc de alarma declansata in
cadrul 9.
#8ntre : si ; a$em o elipsa
#< si 9# actiunea aratata din 9 puncte diferite. impul este = condensat >
his complementary relationship between shots is a ,ind of proto#parallel editing in$ol$ing manipulation of the mise#en#sc?ne
instead of manipulation of the film material through decoupage @ and manipulation of time o$er space.
Ahile Life of an American ireman employs familiar spatial constructions, its temporal construction differs radically
from matching action and parallel cutting, which one can see si- years later in such Briffith films as The Lonely !illa. he
hypotactic mode of representation in The Lonely !illa re6uires a linear flow of time but mo$es bac, and forth between
locations by fragmentation of the miseen# sc?ne through decoupage
7hots are self#contained units tied to each other by o$erlapping action. 8ronically, Life of an American ireman has
fre6uently been praised for its fluidity and the way it condenses time through editorial strategies. he re$erse is true. he action
is retarded, repeated.
he mode of narrati$e and editorial construction that (orter e-plored in Life of an American ireman may be found in
many of his subse6uent films. The Great Train "obbery (190)), The #oliceman ools the Sergeant (190C), The
$hite Ca%s (190D), The $atermelon #atch (190D), The &Teddy' Bears (190;), and "esc(ed from an )agle*s
+est (190<). Ether filmma,ers, notably those wor,ing at 5iograph, followed !Fli?ss and (orters lead in films li,e +e,t-
(190)), The B(rglar (190)), A .iscordant +ote (= (190)), The "(na/ay Match (190)), $anted: a .og (190D),
and The ire B(g (190D). Ether films, li,e Gepworths "esc(ed by "o0er (190D), ha$e a similar temporal construction,
while !Fli?s continued to use o$erlapping action in films such as Le !oyage 1 tra0ers l*im%ossible (190C).
Life of an American ireman contains a series of fascinating contradictions.C9 7hots remain discreet units e$en as they are
integrated into a film narrati$e on se$eral different le$els. Ga$ing de$eloped strategies that would undermine the e-hibitors role
as editor, (orter continued to draw upon his own bac,ground as an e-hibitor. he combining of different mimetic styles @ for
instance, the artificial (1theatrical2) opening with its painted bac,drops and dream balloon @ and the staged documentary
he great train robbery# "he film also employed the first pan shots (in scenes eight and nine), and the use of an
ellipsis (in scene eleven)
Uncle Toms cabin:
1.Snowy landscape at night. A typical Southern log cabin. Snowing. Uncle Tom's home. Eliza arris hastily appears
with her little boy and taps on the cabin window. Aunt !loe appears at the window with a large white night"cap# and
in$uires what is the matter. The door opens and Aunt !loe comes out %ollowed by Uncle Tom in his shirt slee&es
holding a tallow candle. Eliza in%orms him o% the sale o% himsel% and her boy to the sla&e traders# and tells him that
she has decided to run away. She tries to induce Tom to accompany her. Tom re%uses and decides to stay and ta'e
the conse$uences. Eliza 'neels as'ing Tom to o%%er up a prayer# then ta'ing her child departs.
(. A large room in a ta&ern by the ri&er side. )hineas *letcher# a plantation owner# enters# and loo'ing out o% the
window# disco&ers that the ri&er is %ull o% %loating ice# and laments that he cannot cross to see a +ua'er maiden on
the ,hio side# with whom he is in lo&e# and who re%uses to marry him unless he becomes a +ua'er. At this moment
Eliza and her child# enter almost e-hausted. )hineas addresses her# as'ing what is the matter. Eliza in$uires o% him
i% there are any %erries running across the ri&er that night. )hineas in%orms her that they ha&e stopped running. Eliza
tells him that her child is &ery sic' and that she is &ery an-ious to get on the other side o% the ri&er. e tells her that a
man down the ri&er a piece# is going to try to cross it that night# and as's her to step into a side room and sit down
and wait# telling her to order what she wants# and he will stand the damage. . . .
. . . .ar's enters. )hineas slaps him on the bac' and as's him who he is. .ar's replies# /0 am a lawyer and my
name is .ar's./ 1hile they are drin'ing# aley and 2o'er enter# and sha'ing hands with .ar's# say that he is the
&ery man they want to see. aley tells .ar's that he has bought a little boy %rom Shelby# and that his mother had
gotten wind o% it and had run away# and that he had traced her to this &ery place. aley as's )hineas i% he had seen
anything o% them. )hineas tells them he has a story he wants to relate# at the same time ta'ing the trio to one side o%
the room with their bac's to the window. 1hile they are in this position# Eliza peeps out o% the door# and )hineas
motions %or her to escape out o% the window. 3ust as she gets outside# she ma'es a noise which attracts the
attention o% the sla&e traders# who try to %ollow her# but )hineas pulls two large re&ol&ers and holds them at bay.
Showing the wood scene by the ri&er. The snow is %alling and the ri&er is %ull o% %loating ice. Eliza appears with
her child# almost e-hausted. The sla&e traders with their dogs are in hot pursuit. She realizes that there is only one
means o% escape and that is to cross the ri&er on the %loating ice. This she $uic'ly determines to do. A%ter dropping
on her 'nees and o%%ering up a prayer# she hastily arises# seizes the child and running to the ban'# 4umps on a ca'e
o% %loating ice 4ust in time to escape the blood"hounds. 1hile .ar's and aley are attempting to reach her# .ar's
%alls into the ri&er and is pulled out with great di%%iculty by aley and 2o'er# as Eliza %loats %rom &iew.
Showing the home o% 5uth# the +ua'er girl at the %oot o% the 5oc'y )ass. 5uth comes out o% the cottage# %ollowed
by Eliza and her child# who were conducted to 5uth's home by )hineas a%ter their miraculous escape across the
ri&er. 5uth sent )hineas in search o% 6eorge arris# the husband o% Eliza# telling him that she would ne&er marry him
until he %ound arris. 1hile 5uth is wor'ing at her spinning wheel and Eliza is playing with her child# )hineas enters
with 6eorge arris. The child runs to his %ather# and there is 4oy all around. )hineas# loo'ing down the road#
disco&ers that they ha&e been %ollowed by the sla&e traders# and $uic'ly conducts Eliza# arris and the child to a
place o% sa%ety behind some huge roc's. . . . . . . aley# 2o'er and .ar's enter and in$uire o% 5uth i% she has seen
anything o% the runaways. They proceed to search the place. )hineas appears %rom behind the large roc' in$uiring
o% them what they want. .ar's in%orms him that he is an o%%icer o% the law and that they are loo'ing %or some
runaway negroes. 6eorge arris appears telling them that he would not be ta'en ali&e. aley and 2o'er determine
to capture him# and while attempting to do so# a %ight ensues in which aley is shot and arris# his wi%e and child
escape.
Race Between Rob't E. Lee and Natchez: The scene is one on the .ississippi 5i&er. The boats are seen to come
down the ri&er at a &ery high speed with blac' smo'e coming out o% their %unnels. The /2ee/ is gradually seen to be
drawing ahead. As the /7atchez/ gets to the centre o% the scene# a terri%ic e-plosion is seen to ta'e place. The wind
is blowing a gale# and the lightning %lashes# causing a &ery pretty e%%ect.
Rescue of Eva: Showing the arri&al o% the /5obert E. 2ee/ at the doc'. A large number o% negroes are seen dancing
and shouting a welcome at her arri&al. . . .
5escue o% E&a 8second part9: . . . The dec' hands are seen to throw the line ashore and when she is moored
alongside the doc'# the gang"plan' is put ashore and the passengers are seen to disembar'. E&a# who has
become greatly attached to Uncle Tom# whom she met on the boat while he was being ta'en to 7ew ,rleans
to be sold# while bidding him good bye is pushed o&erboard by a crowd o% passengers. Uncle Tom is seen to
di&e $uic'ly to her rescue. A line is thrown %rom the doc' and Tom and E&a are pulled to sa%ety. St. !lare#
E&a's %ather# in$uires %or the owner o% Uncle Tom# and $uic'ly ma'es a bargain# purchasing him.
Welcome ome to !t. "lair Eva #unt $phelia and %ncle &om 8%irst part9: A beauti%ul garden scene# the home o%
St. !lare in the bac'ground. A large number o% negroes are dancing 4oyously at the arri&al o% St. !lare# Uncle
Tom and E&a# also Aunt ,phelia# an aunt o% St. !lare's %rom the 7orth# who has come to pay him a &isit. St.
!lare is greeted by his wi%e and he tells her o% the rescue o% E&a by Uncle Tom. E&a ta'es Tom by the hand
and leads him o&er to show him their beauti%ul home. . . .
1elcome ome to St. !lair E&a Aunt ,phelia and Uncle Tom 8second part9: . . . Topsy appears and goes through a
&ery %unny dance# %rightening Aunt ,phelia by her %unny actions# greatly to the amusement o% St. !lare. 1hile
going into the house# Topsy steals a ribbon %rom the dress o% Aunt ,phelia. The loss is soon disco&ered# and
Topsy is %ound playing with the ribbon. Aunt ,phelia ends the scene by chastising Topsy.
&om and Eva in the 'arden: Shows the same setting as Scene :# with the e-ception that it is moonlight. . . . . . .
Tom and E&a enter and sit on the rustic bench under a tree. E&a is reading a ;ible# and Tom e-plains to her
the meanings. E&a becomes ill. er %ather and Aunt ,phelia appear and Tom in%orms them o% the %act.
<issing her good night# St. !lare tells Tom to ta'e her out o% the night air. Scene ends by Aunt ,phelia
repro&ing St. !lare %or allowing E&a out in the night air.
(eath of Eva: Showing a bed chamber. E&a lies sic' upon a couch with St. !lare and Aunt ,phelia by her side. .rs.
St. !lare enters and St. !lare tells her that E&a is dying. E&a points toward the s'y# telling her %ather that she is
going there# and %alls bac' dead. Uncle Tom and Topsy# who were standing at the %oot o% the cot# 'neel in prayer
while the angel appears# ta'es the spirit o% E&a and ascends.
Special E%%ects# 1=>? Style: This scene includes an attempt to use %ilm magic to bring the transcendent realm into
the &iewer's line o% sight. Through the use o% multiple e-posures# the audience sees an angel carrying o%% E&a's soul
to hea&en 8it's actually a doll9# while her mere body remains bound to this world. 0n %act# the %ilm shows the angel
ta'ing up E&a's soul twice @ presumably to gi&e &iewers an e-tra chance to catch the e%%ect.
!t. "lair (efends %ncle &om: Showing a bar room. .ar's enters with a %riend and sits at a table. St. !lare# who
has been drin'ing hea&ily since the death o% E&a# enters# %ollowed by Uncle Tom# who entreats him not to
drin' any more. St. !lare orders a drin'. Simon 2egree# the owner o% a large plantation up Sna'e 5i&er#
enters and in&ites all hands to ha&e a drin'. .ar's and his %riend $uic'ly 4oin him at the bar. 2egree as's St.
!lare to 4oin him# but he says he does not drin' with strangers. 2egree becomes %urious and 4oins .ar's at
the bar. A%ter drin'ing# he o%%ers a drin' to Uncle Tom# who re%uses it. This increases 2egree's anger and he
throws the contents o% the glass in Uncle Tom's %ace. St. !lare 4umps at and $uic'ly 'noc's him down.
2egree arises drawing a large 'ni%e %rom his belt and plunges it into St. !lare's heart. 0n the meantime# .ar's
and %riend ma'e a hasty e-it# and Tom 'neels beside St. !lare# and o%%ers up a prayer.
#uction !ale of !t. "lair's !laves: Showing a doc' scene with bar room and ware houses on one side# and a large
number o% steam boats moored to the whar%. Scene opens with St. !lare's sla&es singing# dancing# shooting crap#
and otherwise en4oying themsel&es. The auctioneer appears# brea'ing up their s'y"lar'ing# and proceeds to open
the sale. The %irst sla&e to be placed on the bloc' is Adolph# the &alet o% the late St. !lare. Simon 2egree# who is one
o% the bidders# steps up to Adolph# e-amines him# and spits upon his shoes because they are blac'ened. The
bidding is &ery li&ely# and he is %inally 'noc'ed down to .ar's# who o%%ers se&enty"%i&e. The auctioneer in%orms
.ar's that the terms are cash. .ar's hands him a dollar bill and as's him %or twenty"%i&e cents change. The
auctioneer is astonished# as'ing him i% he e-pects to buy a sla&e %or se&enty"%i&e cents. 6i&ing him a cut with his
whip# .ar's ma'es a hasty e-it. . . .
The scene o% dancing and gambling sla&es with which the auction se$uence begins is not in Stowe's no&el# but it
began appearing in dramatizations o% Uncle Tom's !abin as early as 1AB(. To trace some o% that history you can use
the site's SEA5! .,CE: enter /!onway/ and /;arnum./
. . . The ne-t sla&e to ta'e the bloc' is Emaline# a beauti%ul mulatto girl# who is 'noc'ed down to 2egree. Uncle Tom
is ne-t to be put on the bloc'# and a%ter some li&ely bidding# 2egree steps to the %ront and in%orms the bidders
that he is determined to buy Tom at any price. e o%%ers D1#(>># which is %inally accepted. 2egree ta'es Tom
and Emaline by the wrists# e-claiming# /7ow you two belong to me./ The two 'neeling e-claim# /Then
ea&en help us#/ ma'ing a &ery pretty ending to this scene.
&om Refuses to )log Emaline: Simon 2egree's plantation on Sna'e 5i&er. Scene shows a large cotton"%ield and a
large number o% negroes pic'ing cotton in the %oreground. Uncle Tom is seen trying to 'eep up with the
younger sla&es# but is unable to do so. !assy# a %ormer mistress o% 2egree# is seen to gi&e Uncle Tom a hand
e&ery now and then# while the o&erseer's bac' is turned. 2egree enters and disco&ers !assy helping Uncle
Tom# and warns her not to do so. e calls Emaline and as's her i% she e&er wore ear"rings. She tells him
/no#/ and he says that he has decided to ta'e her out o% the %ields# and ma'e a lady o% her. e also tells her
to go to the house. She declines to do so# saying that she would rather wor' in the %ields with the rest o% the
sla&es. This enrages 2egree and he calls Tom# telling him that he has decided to promote him to be an
o&erseer# and to ta'e his whip and %log Emaline# saying that he had seen enough o% it to 'now how it was
done. Tom ta'es the whip# and as he raises it to stri'e Emaline# she 'neels at his %eet. Tom stops and throws
the whip to the ground# re%using to whip her. . . . . . . 2egree's anger increases and he calls two negroes#
Sambo and +uimbo# telling them to tie Tom to the whipping post. The o&erseer is seen to whip Tom until he
is inter%ered with by !assy# who pulls the whip out o% his hand. 2egree inter%eres# and !assy draws bac' the
whip as i% to stri'e him# ma'ing an e-citing %inish to the scene.
*ar+s #venges (eaths of !t. "lair , %ncle &om 8%irst part9
: 2egree's home# showing a large &eranda with great colonial pillars and beauti%ul cotton %ields in the bac'ground.
2egree is seen to be wal'ing ner&ously up and down the &eranda# and calls to Sambo to bring him a drin'.
A%ter drin'ing# he tells Sambo and +uimbo to bring Tom to him. e as's Tom i% he 'new the hiding place o%
Emaline and !assy# who ran away the night be%ore. Tom says that he did but that he would not re&eal it.
2egree becomes %urious and tells Tom that he has decided to 'ill him. e stri'es Tom o&er the head with the
butt o% his whip. Tom drops li'e a log# and then raising on his elbow# tells 2egree that he %orgi&es him. 2egree
stri'es him again and calling Sambo and +uimbo# tells them to ta'e Tom and throw him in the woodshed. . . .
. . . 6eorge Shelby# 3r.# a son o% the %ormer owner o% Tom# in$uires o% 2egree i% he owns an old negro boy by
the name o% /Uncle Tom#/ and 2egree tells him that he did and that he was out in the woodshed trying to die.
Shelby tells him that i% any harm has come to Tom# he will ha&e to answer %or it. Then he goes in search o%
Tom. .ar's enters and in%orms 2egree that he has a warrant %or his arrest %or the murder o% St. !lare. 2egree
stri'es with his whip at .ar's# who dodges under his arm and 'ills him dead.
&ableau: (eath of &om
The scene shows an old woodshed. Uncle Tom is lying on the %loor# and !assy is seen to steal in# raise Uncle Tom's
head# gi&e him a drin' o% water# and steal away again. 6eorge Shelby enters. 6oing o&er to Uncle Tom# he raises his
head %rom the %loor and as's him i% he did not remember him# also saying that he had come to ta'e Tom bac' home.
Tom tells him that it is too lateE he is dying# and pointing to the s'y# says that he can see his ea&enly homeE a &ision
o% E&a in ea&en appears on the wall o% the shed# and as it disappears# Tom drops bac' dead. Shelby 'neels by his
side# and in rapid succession o% &isions o% 3ohn ;rown being led to e-ecution# a battle scene %rom the !i&il 1ar# and
a cross with a &ision o% emancipation# showing Abraham 2incoln with the negro sla&e 'neeling at his %eet with bro'en
manacles# appear.
Special E%%ects# 1=>? Style: The slide images o% the historical a%termath to Tom's story are pro4ected into the scene
by a magic lantern# a popular entertainment medium that dates bac' to the 1:th century# and as the earliest use o%
pro4ected light to display pictures# a technological predecessor to mo&ies.