A fireman rescues a mother and a child from a fire. Directed by Edwin S.Porter. There are two versions of this film: a more conventional Copyright Version and a more innovative Cross-Cut Version. Film historians still debate which version was shown to the public back in 1903. If it was the Cross-Cut Version (while the Copyright Version was simply an assembly of raw footage filed for copyright at the Library Of Congress before the editing process was completed), then "Life Of An Amerian Fireman" represents a watershed moment in the history of cinema - the invention of cross-cutting between scenes. But if the public in 1903 actually saw the Copyright Version (and the Cross-Cut Version was re-edited much later for a subsequent reissue of the film), it means that the art of cross-cutting was only invented in 1905 with "Rescue By Rover".
January 3, 1970
Life Of An American Fireman (1903) ****
A fireman rescues a mother and a child from a fire. Directed by Edwin S.Porter. There are two versions of this film: a more conventional Copyright Version and a more innovative Cross-Cut Version. Film historians still debate which version was shown to the public back in 1903. If it was the Cross-Cut Version (while the Copyright Version was simply an assembly of raw footage filed for copyright at the Library Of Congress before the editing process was completed), then "Life Of An Amerian Fireman" represents a watershed moment in the history of cinema - the invention of cross-cutting between scenes. But if the public in 1903 actually saw the Copyright Version (and the Cross-Cut Version was re-edited much later for a subsequent reissue of the film), it means that the art of cross-cutting was only invented in 1905 with "Rescue By Rover".
