Leaving Jerusalem by Railway

Plot

This pioneering documentary captures a train departing from Jerusalem station in 1897, documenting the farewells of diverse groups gathered on the platform. The camera observes as Europeans in formal attire, Palestinian Arabs in traditional dress, and Palestinian Jews in distinctive clothing all wave goodbye to passengers on the departing train. The composition shows the train gradually moving away from the station while people continue their gestures of farewell, creating a poignant intersection of modern technology and human emotion. This brief but significant scene serves as both a travelogue and a valuable historical document of Jerusalem's multicultural fabric during the late Ottoman period.

Historical Background

The late 1890s marked the birth of cinema, with the Lumière brothers having just invented the Cinématographe in 1895. This period saw the rapid expansion of film technology from France to the rest of the world. Jerusalem in 1897 was part of the Ottoman Empire and was a city of immense religious significance and cultural diversity. The Jaffa-Jerusalem railway, completed in 1892, represented modernization and connection to the outside world for this ancient city. European interest in the Holy Land was high during this period, fueled by religious tourism, archaeological expeditions, and colonial interests. The film captures a transitional moment when traditional ways of life coexisted with new technologies like railways. This was also a time of growing European presence in the Middle East, with various powers vying for influence in the declining Ottoman Empire.

Making Of

Alexandre Promio was dispatched by the Lumière brothers to travel the world and capture scenes that would appeal to European audiences' curiosity about foreign lands. His journey to Jerusalem was part of this broader mission to expand the Lumière film catalog with exotic and educational content. The filming required transporting heavy and cumbersome camera equipment to the Ottoman Empire, a significant logistical challenge for the time. Promio had to set up his camera at the Jerusalem railway station, carefully composing the shot to capture both the departing train and the diverse crowd of well-wishers. The filming itself was technically demanding, requiring the hand-cranking of the camera at a consistent speed while managing the limited film capacity of early cameras. This simple scene of a train departure was chosen because it represented both modern technology (the railway) and traditional human interaction (farewells), making it an ideal subject for early cinema audiences.

Visual Style

The cinematography in 'Leaving Jerusalem by Railway' represents the technical limitations and aesthetic choices of early cinema. The film uses a static camera position, which was standard for Lumière productions of this period. The composition carefully frames both the departing train and the platform full of people, creating a balanced image that tells a complete story within a single shot. The lighting is natural, utilizing available daylight, which creates authentic shadows and highlights that enhance the three-dimensional quality of the scene. The depth of field captures multiple planes of action - the foreground with the well-wishers, the middle ground with the train, and the background with the station architecture.

Innovations

While 'Leaving Jerusalem by Railway' may appear simple by modern standards, it represents several important technical achievements for its time. The very act of filming in Jerusalem in 1897 was a significant accomplishment, requiring the transport of delicate and heavy camera equipment to a remote location. The film demonstrates the portability of the Lumière Cinématographe, which was more compact than other early film cameras. The successful capture of a moving train and multiple human subjects in a single shot shows the technical proficiency of the cinematographer in managing exposure and focus. The film's survival to the present day is itself a technical achievement, given the fragility of early film stock.

Music

This film was created during the silent era of cinema, and no original soundtrack was composed or recorded for it. In early film exhibitions, musical accompaniment was typically provided live by pianists, organists, or small ensembles who would improvise or play appropriate music to match the mood of the film. For a scene like 'Leaving Jerusalem by Railway,' the accompaniment might have included popular travel-themed music or light classical pieces. Some exhibitors might have used music with Middle Eastern or exotic themes to enhance the sense of place.

Memorable Scenes

• The entire 50-second film consists of a single memorable scene: the departure of a train from Jerusalem station with diverse groups of people waving farewell. The composition captures Europeans in formal attire, Palestinian Arabs in traditional dress, and Palestinian Jews in distinctive clothing, all gathered on the platform. As the train gradually moves away from the station, people continue to wave and gesture their goodbyes, creating a poignant moment of human connection.

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception for such early films was limited, as film criticism as a discipline did not yet exist. However, the film was likely well-received by audiences of its time who were fascinated by the novelty of moving images and the opportunity to see scenes from distant lands. The Lumière company's 'views' from around the world were popular attractions in their early film screenings. Modern film historians and archivists recognize this film as an important early documentary and a significant example of the Lumière company's global filming initiatives. It is valued today for its historical documentation rather than its artistic merits, though its composition and choice of subject matter demonstrate the sophisticated understanding of visual storytelling that existed even in cinema's infancy.

What Audiences Thought

Early cinema audiences in the 1890s were captivated by the simple magic of moving images, and films showing exotic locations were particularly popular. 'Leaving Jerusalem by Railway' would have been received with wonder and curiosity by European audiences who had little opportunity to see real images of the Holy Land. The film's depiction of diverse peoples would have been educational for viewers unfamiliar with the multicultural nature of Jerusalem. The familiar scene of train departures, combined with the exotic setting, made the film both relatable and fascinating. Audiences likely appreciated the authenticity of the scene, which was typical of Lumière productions that favored real-life scenes over staged narratives.

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