Arrival of a Train (Joinville Station)

Plot

This lost documentary film from 1896 depicted a steam train arriving at Joinville-le-Pont station near Paris. The single shot captured the train pulling into the station platform, with passengers likely visible boarding and disembarking. As was typical of early actualité films, it presented a straightforward, unedited view of a common transportation scene. The film would have lasted approximately 30-45 seconds, documenting the modern marvel of railway transportation for audiences who had never seen moving images before. While the original footage is lost, a digital recreation based on Léon Beaulieu's contemporary flipbook gives us insight into its composition and content.

Historical Background

1896 was a pivotal year in cinema history, marking the first full year of commercial film exhibition. The Lumière brothers had held their first public screening in December 1895, and 1896 saw the rapid spread of cinematograph shows across Europe and America. France was the epicenter of this cinematic revolution, with both the Lumière brothers and Georges Méliès pioneering different approaches to the new art form. The railway system itself was a symbol of modernity and progress in the late 19th century, making train subjects particularly compelling for early filmmakers. The Joinville-le-Pont station was part of the expanding Paris suburban railway network that was transforming how people lived and worked. This period also saw the beginning of film preservation issues, as many early films were not considered valuable enough to save, leading to the loss of numerous works including this Méliès film.

Making Of

Georges Méliès, originally a magician and theater owner, began making films in 1896 after purchasing a Lumière camera. This train arrival film represents his early experimentation with the new medium before he discovered his talent for cinematic magic and special effects. Méliès would set up his camera at various locations around Paris to capture 'actualités' - short documentary scenes of everyday life. The Joinville-le-Pont location was chosen likely for its accessibility and the regular train service providing reliable subject matter. Unlike the Lumière brothers who primarily focused on documentary scenes, Méliès soon transitioned to creating fantastical narratives, making films like this early documentary work relatively rare in his extensive filmography. The loss of this film is particularly unfortunate as it represents a transitional period in Méliès' career as he moved from documenting reality to creating cinematic illusions.

Visual Style

The film would have been shot with a single stationary camera positioned to capture the train's arrival, typical of early cinema's static approach. The composition likely showed the train approaching from the distance and growing larger as it neared the platform, creating a simple but effective sense of depth and movement. The black and white images would have been captured on 35mm film with relatively low resolution and contrast compared to later films. No camera movement or editing techniques would have been employed, as these innovations had not yet been developed. The lighting would have been entirely natural, requiring filming during daylight hours. The recreation based on Beaulieu's flipbook suggests a straightforward side-on view of the platform, allowing viewers to see both the train and any passengers on the platform.

Innovations

While not technically innovative compared to Méliès' later work with special effects, this film represents the early mastery of basic cinematographic techniques including proper exposure, framing, and capturing movement. The use of a single continuous take to document a real event was standard practice in 1896 but revolutionary for its time. The fact that it could be recreated from a flipbook demonstrates the relatively simple but effective nature of early film composition. The film contributes to the historical record of how different early filmmakers approached similar subjects, showing that Méliès initially worked within the documentary tradition before developing his unique fantasy style.

Music

Like all films of 1896, this was a silent film with no synchronized soundtrack. During exhibition, it would have been accompanied by live music, typically a pianist or small orchestra playing appropriate music. The musical accompaniment might have included popular songs of the era or classical pieces chosen to match the mood of the scene. Some exhibitors might have used sound effects created live, such as train whistle sounds, to enhance the viewing experience. The choice of music was at the discretion of individual exhibitors and varied from venue to venue.

Memorable Scenes

• The train pulling into the station platform, growing larger as it approaches the camera position

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception is difficult to determine as film criticism as we know it did not exist in 1896. However, these early actualité films were generally received with wonder and amazement by audiences who had never seen moving images before. Modern film historians and scholars view these train films as crucial documents in the birth of cinema, though Méliès' version receives less attention than the Lumière film due to its lost status. The recreation based on Beaulieu's flipbook has allowed some contemporary analysis, confirming that Méliès approached the subject with a straightforward documentary style similar to his contemporaries before developing his signature magical approach to filmmaking.

What Audiences Thought

Early audiences in 1896 reportedly reacted with astonishment to train films, with some accounts claiming viewers ducked or ran from the screen, believing the train might emerge into the theater. These reactions, while possibly exaggerated, demonstrate the powerful illusion created by early cinema. The Méliès version would have been shown as part of a program of short films at his theater or other venues, likely alongside magic acts and other entertainment. The novelty of seeing a moving image of a familiar scene like a train arrival would have been the primary draw for audiences. The fact that multiple filmmakers created similar train films suggests they were popular subjects that reliably drew crowds to early film exhibitions.

You Might Also Like