"The Great Train Robbery," by Edwin S. Porter

In the case of The Great Train Robbery, Edwin S. Porter makes a commentary about society with a  serious and paternalistic approach. By precluding the audiences from a heroic figure, Porter creates in the audience a starving desire for an authoritarian figure. Another interesting aspect about The Great Train Robbery is that this film was a pioneer in many aspects: camera movement, editing, acting, and story. In terms of camera movements and editing, Porter used continuity editing, parallel editing, and camera movements such as panning. In terms of acting and story telling, there is no introduction or exposition of the facts. The audience is taken right away in the middle of the action. In addition, not only this was the first film in which a man looks right into the camera and shoots ‘at the audience,’ but it was also the first film in which people die in front of the camera. I would be very interested to know how the audiences reacted to such a film.