Edison - The Invention of the Movies (1891-1918)

Starring:Thomas A. Edison, Charles Musser
Studio: Kino Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Edison - The Invention of the Movies is a four-disc treasure trove of 140 of the first moving pictures ever seen, spanning the birth of cinema from 1891-1918. The collaboration between Kino Video and the Museum of Modern Art includes 14-second-long camera tests, early special effects, street scenes, humorous shorts, and "The Great Train Robbery," widely considered the world's first blockbuster. Arranged chronologically, the films gradually improve in technical sophistication and narrative complexity while providing riveting glimpses of American culture 100 years ago. Highlights include the slyly edited "The Gay Shoe Clerk," the phantasmagoric "Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend," and a film of social justice called "The Kleptomaniac." Contemporary sensibilities will be challenged by persistent racial stereotypes in a number of the films, as well as by a horrific short showing the electrocution of an elephant. The educational possibilities represented in this set are vast.

If Kino Video and MoMA had simply released these restored films on DVD, it would still be one of the notable releases of the year, but they have gone further by filling out the set with over two hours of interviews with scholars and archivists. The films can be watched with or without these explanatory interviews, which lend the kind of historical context and thoughtful analysis one finds on the best museum tours. We learn that Edison's first studio was a tar-papered contraption called "Black Maria" that could be rotated to take advantage of available sunlight. Patrick Loughney of The Library of Congress details how many of Edison's films survive on printed paper reels submitted to a copyright office that at the time had no way of cataloging film. Author Michelle Wallace provides insight on how the films represented--and perpetuated-- the stereotypes of the era. If viewers have any energy left after this erudite festival of moving images, there are more than 200 still images from MoMA's Edison Collection to browse. The film history buff's collection is simply not complete without this set. --Ryan Boudinot

Edison - The Invention of the Movies (1891-1918)
Average customer rating:

A great collection of early films with insightful commentary

Stunning

Great Set

An invaluable piece of film history

Almost as comprehensive as the Edison Papers project!

Edison - The Invention of the Movies (1891-1918)
Starring: Thomas A. Edison , and Charles Musser
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006Q93LA
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Amazon.com

Edison - The Invention of the Movies is a four-disc treasure trove of 140 of the first moving pictures ever seen, spanning the birth of cinema from 1891-1918. The collaboration between Kino Video and the Museum of Modern Art includes 14-second-long camera tests, early special effects, street scenes, humorous shorts, and "The Great Train Robbery," widely considered the world's first blockbuster. Arranged chronologically, the films gradually improve in technical sophistication and narrative complexity while providing riveting glimpses of American culture 100 years ago. Highlights include the slyly edited "The Gay Shoe Clerk," the phantasmagoric "Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend," and a film of social justice called "The Kleptomaniac." Contemporary sensibilities will be challenged by persistent racial stereotypes in a number of the films, as well as by a horrific short showing the electrocution of an elephant. The educational possibilities represented in this set are vast.

Customer Reviews:

A great collection of early films with insightful commentary.......2007-01-10

This set contains 140 films made by the Edison Company during the years 1891-1918. Unlike the other bundle of Edison's movies, this one has extensive commentary so that you get a real feel for Edison's place in motion picture history, his successes, and finally what caused the downfall of the movie-making part of Edison's extensive empire. Most early Edison films are under a minute in length and were done as experiments as much as anything. However, Edison's 1903 film, "The Great Train Robbery", is considered the very first success at making a popular motion picture that even remotely resembles what we have today, and is included in this set.

The set pretty much goes forward chronologically in time from disc one through four. Disc one has Edison's earliest films including his experiments with sound on film. Edison, in fact, underestimated the problems involved and originally predicted that movies with synchronized sound could be accomplished by 1910. Discs two and three have the more popular Edison films on them, and even show director Edwin S. Porter as emerging with a unique directorial style. Disc four was not as much fun for me as the first three, since it largely documents the decline and fall of the Edison Company, and the films on that disc demonstrate why. As directors such as D.W. Griffith were turning feature films into an artform, the Edison Company was largely making movies about industry and even some campaign films. This is really essential viewing for anyone who wants the details on Edison's place in motion picture history.

Stunning.......2005-10-16

Prior to watching the films on this set, I had only seen a handful of films from the 1890s and Aughts combined, and was barely better-acquainted with the films of the Teens, only having seen thirtysomething films from that decade. This collection really serves to fill a hole for people whose primary experience with early cinema comes from the Twenties and Teens. I actually found myself liking the first two discs best, the films from the 1890s and the early and mid-Aughts. It's really a wonder how back then you could fit so much into only a film that was like five to fifteen minutes long, and rarely ever need intertitles to explain anything. The films from the 1890s are even more wonderous to behold; none of them are over a minute long, yet people back then didn't care, since they had never seen moving images before. This was really a breathtaking thing for them, short as they may be. These very early films also documented many vaudeville acts, providing a small window into a long-bygone form of entertainment. Watching all of these films and interviews and going through all of the bonus material isn't a one-day project, that's for certain. (The program notes on the first disc even have some bonus films that aren't listed on the main film index!) It's not for people who are looking only to be entertained, but for those who are serious about film history and just history in general (so many of these films document things that are long gone, like styles of dress, cars, horse-drawn carriages, sidewalk markets, social codes, and technology), it's a real treasure-trove. Maybe a second volume will be released someday?

Great Set.......2005-07-30

This set is great for early film buffs. But, since most of them are in the public domain, they are easily found online at government sites to download free. Spending a few hours downloading from the Library of Congress site, and you will have the same collection.

An invaluable piece of film history.......2005-03-02

This beautifully packaged set of 4 discs is both an education and a real pleasure to watch, thanks to an excellent interface that allows you to enjoy watching the films only, or go in-depth with program notes on each film, as wellas interviews and commentaries on many aspects of the Edison Company's productions. The educational aspect is, of course, the development of movies: from the very first experiments in 1889 which last only a few seconds, to the distinct steps towards telling a story and its evolution into the format we know today. The first disc comprises mainly these early experiments and quick glimpses into the past, lasting from a few seconds to several minutes, and which cover a wide range of subjects. One has to keep in mind that moving pictures were a novelty in those days, and it took some years for the concept of a narrative film for proper entertainment to emerge. Thanks mainly to the innovative pioneering spirit of Edwin S Porter, who directed nearly all of Edison's early short films in the period 1902-1908, we can clearly see how the foundation was laid for what was to follow, such as D W Griffith's Biograph Shorts. In fact, I'm sure that anyone who has enjoyed Griffith's Biograph work will enjoy the bulk of the Edison Company's productions. These shorts (about 10-20 minutes in length) cover a broad range of themes from simple but charming love stories to more involved plots with social and other themes: always interesting but perhaps overall not as intense or dramatic as many of Griffith's Biograph shorts. Apart from 3 or 4 short films that have suffered irreverisible damage, the picture quality is very good overall, and the traditional organ or piano accompaniment is varied and suited to the scenes. My personal favourites are these varied short films from 1905 to 1915, then after a break of 3 years, the final Edison production on disc 4 is a feature film of nearly 90 minutes made during World War I. "The Unbeliever" shows how a young man's experience at the front in Europe changes some of his prejudices and makes him a better person, which makes it more than just a war propaganda film. Although the picture quality is not the best here, I still got a lot out of the story, and it is a good end to the entire set which shows all the steps involved in the invention of the movies.

Almost as comprehensive as the Edison Papers project!.......2005-02-24

What a fantastic set. I'm really only 6 hours into the 12 hours of film material but this some wonderful set! I've been collecting Edison films on video for about 20 years. To not only have them in one place with great prints, but to have the interesting interviews (2 hours worth) is fabulous. If I have one gripe it's the menu. If you are watching a DVd all the way through including the commentary and stop in less than the 3 hours the disc runs, you have to fast forward the next time to the place you were at. There is a film index but if you chose a film from that list it only plays that film and goes back to the index. Well, after watching it through once, I'll be using the index in the future.

Great packaging as well. Bravo to Kino and MOMA!

Steve Ramm

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