Pioneering Blockbusters

By Ali Al Yousifi

Source

               I recently read an essay by Patrick Keiller called ‘Film as Spatial Critique’ in a book called ‘Critical Architecture’. The author tries to link the development of film making, which started in the 1880s (shocking isn’t it?), to the development of Modernist architecture, which started at roughly the same time. Since Modernism brought about drastic changes in the built environment, those early films allow us a unique glimpse of a time prior to the “oil economy and the motor car”. These short films allow us to actually see the world more than a hundred years ago.

               Following are some examples of these early films produced by the French Brothers Lumière, who are the first filmmakers in history. Their first film was called ‘Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory in Lyon’ (1888):

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This film is called ‘Place des Cordeliers in Lyon’ (1895):  
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From these simple recorded scenes of everyday life later developed films with narratives. This must be one of first comedy films in history, ‘The Sprinkler Sprinkled’ (1895):
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Click on this link to see the oldest surviving film in history.