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Gilbert M. Anderson, George Barnes, A.C. Abadie, Walter Cameron, Morgan Jones ... see more see more... , Tom London , Marie Murray , Mary Snow

Director Edwin S. Porter made film history when he completed the 13 sequences for the 12-minute The Great Train Robbery, released in 1903 but based on an 1896 story by Scott Marble. Featuring the firs... read more read more...t parallel development of separate, simultaneous scenes, and the first close-up (of an outlaw firing off a shot right at the audience), The Great Train Robbery is among the earliest narrative films with a "Western" setting. The opening scenes show the outlaws holding up the passengers and robbing the mail car in the train, before escaping on horseback. After being knocked out by the bandits, the telegraph operator regains consciousness and heads to the dance hall to get a posse together. The posse takes off to hunt down the outlaws and the chase is on. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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2,394 ratings

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6 critics

Unrated, 12 min.

Directed by: Edwin S. Porter

Release Date: December 1, 1903

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Flixster Reviews (257)

  • kenstachnik
    January 1, 2011
    kenstachnik
    Love that opening shot
  • webalina
    December 10, 2010
    webalina
    Edwin S. Porter's landmark film from the early days of cinema is amazingly accomplished, not to mention immensely entertaining. I was surprised at how contemporary it felt. Yes, it was filmed with one camera and much of it was done on a soundstage, but the story elements -- train... read more robbers, exploding safes, gunned-down bystanders, fistfights aboard the tops of moving trains, chases on horseback -- are as exciting and watchable as most action films of more recent vintage. Technically, there are well-done explosions, some color sequences, outdoor on location scenes, and the iconic ending where the cowboy shoots directly at the audience. I applaud this film and accept it as the classic it is.

    NOTE: I saw this film as part of a compilation of early films from the Edison Company...yeah, THAT Edison. Other memorable ones include:
    *Life of a Fireman, which was just what it sounds like -- a group of firefighters are called to a housefire. It was thrilling and even moving, as when a child is rescued from the house and is reunited with his mother outside.
    *The Kleptomaniac, which may be the first film with a social message. A well-to-do woman and a woman living in poverty with small children are both arrested for stealing, from a department store and from a grocer respectively. The wealthy woman is set free, while the poor woman is found guilty and incarcerated. The ending shot is the Scales of Justice out of balance due to a bag of money in one of the trays.
    * Two films -- The Kiss and What Happened on 23rd Street -- show that even early in the days of cinema (we're talking circa 1900), naughtiness put asses in the seats. The Kiss was notorious in its day. It's a simple peck between two rather plain people, but it caused a furor because it was considered vulgar. What Happened on 23rd Street starts off as a simple street scene that climaxes with *SPOILER ALERT* a young woman's skirt being blown up by the wind from a subway (?) grate. The more things change the more they stay the same.
  • kiriyamakazou
    November 20, 2010
    kiriyamakazou
    An 11 minute action ride that is now 107 years old. Silent movies have a place in my heart, by demonstrating the medium in its purest form. The Great Train Robbery even avoids using dialog cards. Most scenes are shot from one position, locked down and motionless. This enables the... read more scenes to unfold, but also keeps us at a distance. It also allows for humor, such as the swap from human to dummy, and the passengers constantly exiting a train into a single shot. It's a wonderful film, with some surprising violence for its time. You can see the evolution of cinema before your eyes, as editing, pacing and action join forces for this early gem.
  • ajv2688
    September 3, 2010
    ajv2688
    A very cool old movie. It's got action and adventure in the old west! No sound yet, but one of the first movies to attempt some colourization. A must-see.
  • SirPant
    April 28, 2010
    SirPant
    One of the most famous films of the silent era and indeed the first western. Over a hundred years later and it's still exciting, the last shot of the bandit shooting at the screen is still powerful and timelessly brilliant.
  • jennifxu
    November 6, 2007
    jennifxu
    Innovative. The opening shot (which, in my version, came at the end hm) was the crowning touch.
  • hypathio7
    June 16, 2012
    hypathio7
    Important piece of history. Not a particularly thrilling narrative by current standards, but it won't take much of your time to learn a bit about film history.
  • stevetheman1236
    October 1, 2011
    stevetheman1236
    I imagine that it must have been a million times more exciting back when it was released, but I respect it, nonetheless, for its importance in cinematic history. Plus, it helped create the crime and western genres.
  • staindslaved
    July 18, 2011
    staindslaved
    Famous for it's final scene that shows a cowboy looking directly out into the audience, pointing a six shooter and unloading at the viewer. That scene is very famous and keeps this short afloat in the general publics awareness. It's like 7 minutes long worth watching just to say... read more it's been watched, you're not likely to find anything overly exciting here.
  • merlynsprankling
    August 20, 2009
    merlynsprankling
    Edwin S. Porter's The Great Train Robbery was what would now be defined as an 'epic' as it ran all of twelve minutes and boasted a cast of forty, the proverbial 'thousands' of its day. ( pending review/ to be continued, not enough time)

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Critic Reviews

June 10, 2009
Film4

This has proved to be the most influential of all the early US films and it was the first to tell a definite story. Full Review

June 10, 2009
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A landmark in the development of the American film industry and the narrative form. Full Review

Steve Crum
March 21, 2009
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Must see viewing for this very brief silent film, the first American movie telling a sequenced story.

Dennis Schwartz
May 31, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The most widely viewed picture of its time. Full Review

Tim Dirks
August 23, 2001
Tim Dirks, Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films

One of the milestones in film history was the first narrative film, The Great Train Robbery (1903), directed and photographed by Edwin S. Porter Full Review

John A. Nesbit
December 5, 2007
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews

No review available.

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The Great Train Robbery Trivia

  • Which movie is considered the first narrative film?  Answer »
  • He's the author whose books have been adapted into films such as "Jurassic Park", "Sphere", "Congo" and "Rising Sun". He also cowrote the screenplay for "Twister" and directed Sean Connery in "The Great Train Robbery".  Answer »
  • Who composed the music for the film The (First) Great Train Robbery?  Answer »
  • (1979) Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Lesley Anne Down band together to steal a shipment of gold from a moving train. Their elaborate plan involves keys that must be copied, a coffin, a dead cat and a brothel.   Answer »
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