Captivating movie !

Absolutely the worst movie.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Many films back then and especially now are kind of sloppy. I don't mean that in a bad way. My favorite films are messes. Mostly because it gives a little heart to the film and little themes are scattered throughout the films. However, The Great Train Robbery is one of those messes that manages to be deep, beautiful, scary, and in some weird way, focused.The film in a nutshell is a train robbery committed by four robbers. They go through the steps of the robbery of a train and it ends- well, I don't want to spoil it. Now, by 1900s standards, this must've been horrifying. In this film, the viewer witnesses brutal murders, constant shootings, and a guy literally shoots the camera. Film was barely thirty years old. Movies were still being shown in tents and people were still ducking out of the way if they saw something move even close to the screen. But the people making this film knew that. They wanted people to be scared. They wanted their minds challenged. And that's what this film is, a challenge.The film isn't about the robbers or the cops, good vs. bad, or order vs. chaos, it's about bad people doing bad things and how they would go about doing that bad thing. In other words, the movie isn't about the particular person, it's about the robbery itself. The people who die in this film are because of that robbery, not because bad people do bad things, but because bad people need to eat, and a train robbery is a good place to find cash.The film, as a whole, is very simple. Because of this, when something happens in this in this film, you know that something's "happened". It's a great work of art.

The Great Train Robbery is an interesting little film made in 1903, who's historical impact on film has transcended time launching an entire gene of films (The Western) The Great Train Robbery is only 10-15minutes long and while by todays standards is a little rushed and lacks Character Development , the film is still a fascinating film to watch possibly because of the huge impact its had and the mentality that was going through my head that this film is over 100 years old . While the films simple plot does hold it back, it is easily forgivable . The Great Train Robbery is a Historical piece of cinema for a reason and is well worth the effort for film buffs and silent movie fans. a decent 5 + Historical impact=6

The Great Train Robbery (1903) is an early and important film that still manages to be entertaining. It's great stuff and feels less dated than most other movies made in the 1900s, though its achievements would be quickly surpassed in the next few years.It's only twelve minutes long, but it tells its simple story well. The characters and situations are funny in the most basic way, even in this age of one-liners and 'dumb' humor ala Zoolander.Yes, the whole thing is crude compared to the much more sophisticated film-making which would emerge in the mid-1910s, but one cannot deny its immense importance in narrative storytelling in cinema.

Whenever I'm feeling ambitious - or find time in my often hectic schedule - I try to take it slow and discover old relics from the early days of cinema, finding shorts via Youtube, Vimeo, or Europa Treasures from as early as the 1890's. Many people don't know this, but cinema has been around since the late 1800's, beginning as a medium for illusionists to toy with the idea of reality before evolving into a method of brilliant storytelling and craft. When it began, all its pioneers, with the inimitable Georges Méliès, Robert W. Paul, or, in this case, Edwin S. Porter, nearly every technique was a subversive one and each director played with an uncertain time frame anywhere between under a minute to maybe fifteen minutes to see what they could conjure up.One of these relics is the original "Great Train Robbery," filmed in 1903 and still bearing prints online that look as good as new. The film opens with two bandits (Broncho Billy Anderson and Justus D. Barnes) who break into a railroad office, stopping the train boss/operator by holding him up, and giving the train conductor orders to fill the train up at the water tank. When the train stops, the two men get on, and proceed to hold up the train in what becomes a surprisingly entertaining and joyous ride through early cinema.The bulk of these shorts are hit and miss, and I find myself relishing the thought of these films continuing to live on in present day 2014 rather than appreciating their stories or their acting. "The Great Train Robbery," however, is one of the first films I can remember having a coherent storyline, as well as boasting brilliantly original and pioneering styles such as actor Justus D. Barnes looking directly at the camera while firing his weapon, as well as boasting several different scenes and shots edited together into one project, as opposed to just one static shot. The film was directed by Edwin S. Porter, who made several other cute, off-the-wall shorts between the late 1800's and 1915. Porter famously never toyed with a style after he had utilized it to what he deemed a satisfactory level. Like a unique and audacious songwriter, he believed using and perfecting something once was key and allowed the style to be used by whoever felt inclined after he had done so. "The Great Train Robbery" showed the earliest uses of cross-cutting as well as first accounts of things like tricky camera movement and on-location shooting (thanks to the legendary Edison Manufacturing Company). Records and historical accounts also state that he was an extremely modest and quiet figure, more concerned with machines and film equipment than he ever was people.With this and more, "The Great Train Robbery" bears a history all its own that would later become shared by many that should be celebrated and be mandatory viewing if you, you know, watch movies nowadays and all.Starring: Broncho Billy Anderson, Justus D. Barnes, Alfred C. Abadie, and Walter Cameron. Directed by: Edwin S. Porter.